The Los Angeles Dodgers might've already signed Shohei Ohtani to a $700 million deal, but that doesn't mean they're not pursuing his Team Japan teammate, Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The 25-year-old is being chased by several ball clubs, including the New York Yankees and New York Mets.

Ohtani and Yamamoto were reportedly supposed to attend the Rams game together on Thursday, but that rumor, reported by Jack Harris, was shot down by MLB insider Jon Heyman.

“Yamamoto is not planning to go with Ohtani to the Rams game tonight. That’s a rumor that’s false.”

Harris also refuted his initial report:

“Welp, being told now that Yoshinobu Yamamoto IS NOT going to be at the Rams game tonight The Rams were expecting him to be there, but plans apparently changed.”

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This may mean nothing that he was supposed to be at SoFi Stadium. But, it will give Dodgers fans a sense of hope that Ohtani could convince Yamamoto to sign with Los Angeles and help them win a World Series. It's common knowledge this front office has more than enough money to give Yamamoto his desired $250-300 million contract, especially after deferring $680 million of Ohtani's mega-deal.

After all, Ohtani and Yamamoto just won the World Baseball Classic together in March and the latter pitched fantastic in the semifinals against Mexico. Whether Yamamoto lands with the Dodgers or elsewhere, there's no question he's going to have a very successful big-league career.

For LA, signing a starter like Yoshinobu Yamamoto would definitely strengthen their rotation. Walker Buehler is expected back in 2024, while Clayton Kershaw could still sign a new deal with the Dodgers. Since Shohei Ohtani won't pitch until 2025, having Yamamoto to pair with Buehler at the top of this staff is a scary sight. Also, they just traded for Tyler Glasnow, who is elite when healthy.

We'll see if Ohtani does indeed play a part in Yamamoto's free agency decision.