The Dodgers gave two-way star Shohei Ohtani a $700 million contract, and they weren't done spending yet.
Los Angeles has landed another Japanese phenom, signing right-handed starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a 12-year, $325 million contract on Thursday.
After sending an additional reported $50.6 million posting fee to Yamamoto's former Nippon Professional Baseball team, the Orix Buffaloes, the Dodgers have officially spent north of $1 billion this offseason.
Yamamoto, 25, was one of the prized jewels of the 2023 free-agent class. He comes to MLB after a historic three-year stretch playing professionally in Japan, winning three consecutive MVPs and Sawamura Awards, the NPB's version of the Cy Young. Over 820.1 innings, Yamamoto recorded 856 strikeouts to go with a minuscule 1.65 ERA.
MORE: How good is Yoshinobu Yamamoto? Here's what Dodgers fans can expect from new ace
Several teams were bidding for his services, headlined by the Yankees and Mets, as well as the Phillies, Giants, Red Sox and Blue Jays.
How close did other franchises come to stealing Yamamoto away from his Samurai teammate Ohtani and the Dodgers? The Sporting News takes a closer look below.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto Dodgers contract
The Dodgers signed Yamamoto to a 12-year, $325 million contract, including an additional $50.6 million posting fee to his former team, the Orix Buffaloes, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.
Unlike Ohtani's uniquely structured contract with a boatload of deferred money (which, in turn, played a major role in the Dodgers signing his Japanese teammate), Yamamoto's deal will have no deferrals.
MORE: Dodgers 2024 pitching rotation projection with Yoshinobu Yamamoto
That means he will make roughly $27.1 million per year over the next 12 years. He will also receive a $50 million signing bonus and has two opt-outs in the contract.
What did the Yankees, Mets, other MLB teams offer for Yoshinobu Yamamoto?
The Dodgers are running away with the award for the deepest pockets of the offseason, accounting for more than half of MLB's spending in free agency after the Yamamoto deal.
The Yankees and Mets were reportedly knocking on the door of an agreement, with the Phillies, Giants, Red Sox and Blue Jays all standing in line behind them, according to ESPN.
Mets' offer for Yoshinobu Yamamoto
SNY's Andy Martino reported that the Mets "pushed their offer from the high $200 million range" to the same 12-year, $325 million deal Yamamoto ended up accepting from the Dodgers.
ESPN's Passan added that Mets owner Steve Cohen and president David Stearns flew to Japan on the day that Yamamoto was officially posted, and the star pitcher had an additional visit with the Mets when he visited New York on his United States tour this offseason.
Yankees' offer for Yoshinobu Yamamoto
SNY's Martino reported that the Yankees' offer capped at 10 years, $300 million, which would have given Yamamoto a higher average annual value than the deal he accepted from the Dodgers, but with less money over fewer seasons.
New York was seen to be the favorite to land Yamamoto for a short period, but, according to Martino, "[The Yankees] wanted the pitcher, but clearly not quite as much as they wanted to trade for Juan Soto this winter."
MORE: Grading the Yankees' blockbuster trade for Juan Soto
As mentioned, in early December, New York took its big swing of the offseason when it traded for 25-year-old superstar Soto in a seven-player mega deal.
Other offers for Yoshinobu Yamamoto
There haven't been reports specifying what the other teams that came up short offered for Yamamoto.
Passan simply wrote, "The Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays were in the bidding, too, but couldn't overcome the Dodgers."
