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Yoshinobu Yamamoto was always going to command a high price tag as he makes the jump to the MLB, but the Japanese star’s asking price may have just increased. In light of Shohei Ohtani’s recent $700 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers and rumors about several of the wealthiest teams in the league competing to sign Yamamoto, some folks inside the MLB are expecting Yamamoto's deal to exceed $300 million.
“Prized free agent pitcher Yoshinobu Yamomoto is finding himself in a dream situation having the New York Yankees, Mets and Dodgers all clamoring for his services…The price-tag for Yamomoto, including posting fees, is now likely to reach $300 million, one high-ranking MLB official said.” – Bob Nightengale, USA Today
Yamamoto’s agent will likely use Ohtani’s deal to argue that the asking price for his client’s services just went up. With Ohtani being a top-tier pitcher and hitter and earning an estimated $70 million annually, it can reasonably be argued that he is being paid $35 million per year for each skill. Combined with other recent elite pitcher contracts in that range, Yamamoto could easily argue for between $30 and $35 million per year.
With the New York Mets, New York Yankees and Dodgers, three of the biggest spenders in baseball, all being rumored to be in on Yamamoto, his price tag could be driven through the roof. And in that sense, Yamamoto’s agent can play all sides against each other in negotiations.
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Prior to Ohtani’s deal and rumors about Yamamoto's market heating up, the rumored going price for Yamamoto’s services was estimated to be somewhere between $200 and $250 million.
The Mets need to make a splash after an awful 2023 campaign, but they have already missed out on Ohtani and Juan Soto this offseason. The Yankees need to rebuild the majority of their pitching depth at the big league level after trading away one of their starters and a key prospect for Soto. And the Dodgers have made it clear that they are going all in to win a championship after signing Ohtani, and his contract was negotiated to give the team flexibility to add other players like Yamamoto.
All three of these teams are motivated to sign Yoshinobu Yamamoto and have money to spend, and these factors could easily lead to the Japanese superstar signing a contract worth over $300 million.
