Why Are the Dodgers Confident in Spending $325 Million on Yoshinobu Yamamoto?

The Dodgers’ signing of Japanese pitching sensation Yoshinobu Yamamoto sent shockwaves through the baseball world. Being able to add a talent like that gives the Dodgers a true ace-level starter at the top of their rotation.

They signed him for a record 12-year, $325 million contract, which is the largest total value deal for a pitcher in history. However, there have been those who are concerned with giving a contract of that size to a guy who has never pitched in the big leagues.

Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes made an appearance on “The Show” podcast and explained why the team isn’t worried about handing a record-setting contract to Yamamoto.

“The stuff is electric and high end,” Gomes said. “The command is something that you just don’t see all that often anymore. And it’s those two combining that makes us feel really good about his ability to navigate big league lineups. And he’s gonna have multiple weapons to get guys out. On nights that he doesn’t have one of his pitches, he’s gonna be able to command other pitches to get outs effectively.”

Per Brandon Gomes via “The Show” podcast

Yamamoto brings new energy to the Dodgers starting rotation, and his stuff is expected to translate over to the big leagues extremely well. Los Angeles had been scouting him for years, so when he finally became available, they weren’t going to be outmatched.

As Gomes said, Yamamoto uses his strong command to effectively retire opposing batters. That is a skill that can work anywhere, so the Dodgers didn’t feel any concerns about giving him such a large contract.

It probably also helped that two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani vouched for him as well. The Dodgers want to do whatever they can to build the best possible team around Ohtani, and Yamamoto helps them greatly in doing that.

Yamamoto also is devoted to taking care of his body and being as prepared for games as possible. His workout regimens prove that, and the Dodgers value his dedication to his craft.

“And then layer on how much he cares about his body, his routine, being as dialed as possible for every start, it’s something where it’s, ‘Okay, this is someone you want to bet on long term.’ And, he, like Shohei, wanted to win and felt like this was a great place for him and that the support staff that we have and the resources we can provide, they were all a good fit for what he was looking for.”

Per Brandon Gomes via “The Show” podcast

The Dodgers don’t hand out large free-agent deals to just anyone. They have been very careful with the players that they bet big on, so when they do, fans can be assured that they have done their homework.

Yamamoto is expected to be one of the better young pitchers in the game today, and fans are likely going to be elated every time he steps on the mound. He is expected to help them compete for World Series titles, and the front office couldn’t be more excited for him to be a part of the team.

Photo Credit: Jayne…