After adding Shohei Ohtani, the prize of the MLB offseason, the Los Angeles Dodgers wasted no time putting the star player to work.
Ohtani reportedly joined fellow teammates Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman in the Dodgers' pitch meeting with Japanese sensation Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Tuesday, according to Fabian Ardaya and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic:
“Betts, whom Yamamoto is said to be fond of as a player, was in attendance. So was Freeman, the fellow MVP candidate who represented the franchise’s biggest-ever free-agent splash until this week. There was also his potential future catcher, Will Smith. But the most notable name was the newest Dodger, who will be officially introduced at a press conference on Thursday afternoon.
Ohtani, Yamamoto’s teammate with Samurai Japan during last spring’s World Baseball Classic, attended the meeting. Just two weeks ago, he’d been on the other end of such a reception, one that Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said didn’t involve any players and instead focused on reinforcing what Ohtani already knew about the franchise.”
The Dodgers, should they land Yamamoto with what is expected to be a massive contract, would only be able to do so because of Ohtani's interesting contract structure. Ohtani will defer $68 million per year of his $70 million annual salary throughout his 10-year, $700 million contract with Los Angeles.
After his contract period is up, the remainder of the deferred money will be paid out to him incrementally. This move allows the team to continue to spend more during Ohtani's tenure, possibly on a player such as Yamamoto.
In Japan, Yamamoto led the NPB in wins, ERA and strikeouts three years in a row, resulting in Yamamoto earning three consecutive Eiji Sawamura Awards, which is Japan's equivalent to the Cy Young Award. He accumulated a 1.72 ERA as a starter over seven seasons and ended his NPB career by winning his third consecutive Pacific League Most Valuable Player Award.
Now the Dodgers hope to add him to an already loaded roster.
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