Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto contracts: How much money will coveted free agents cost the Dodgers?

David Suggs

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Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto contracts: How much money will coveted free agents cost the Dodgers? image

Back up the Brinks truck.

Even among mega-rich teams, the Dodgers stand out. They've always been willing to empty their pockets for the best talent in the league.

Still, their pursuit of Japanese superstars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto has been eye-catching, even for their standards.

Los Angeles cemented the Japanese connection on Thursday evening, inking Yamamoto to a glamorous deal in the middle of night. He joins his fellow supernova Ohtani, who set sporting records with the mammoth deal he signed last week.

MORE: Yoshinobu Yamamoto contract details

Ohtani and Yamamoto became the highest-paid duo in MLB history with their contract sheets. But just how much are the Dodgers shelling out to secure the two superstars' services?

The Sporting News fills you in on just what Los Angeles owes Ohtani and Yamamoto, the latest marquee names to pop up in Chavez Ravine.

How much money are Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto contracts costing the Dodgers?

Los Angeles is paying a combined $1.1 billion to Ohtani and Yamamoto over the course of their contracts.

It's an eye-watering total. But the math makes sense. Ohtani's deal (10-years, $700 million) is the largest in sports history. Yamamoto isn't too far behind; at 12 years and $325 million, Yamamoto has the ninth-biggest deal, tied with World Series MVP Corey Seager. However, L.A. spent another $50 million to fill Yamamoto's posting fee, bringing the total value of his deal to $375 million.

The deals have eclipsed the total spent by the other 29 teams in MLB this offseason. No, seriously.

Perhaps that won't stick for the winter. Regardless, the Dodger faithful now get to witness two of the highest-profile talents to ever emerge on the free agency market.

MORE: Shohei Ohtani and the biggest contracts in sporting history

It's important to consider that Ohtani and Yamamoto's cap hit will not quite reflect their contractual value. Ohtani's contract will dole out just $2 million a season, while Yamamoto will net just over $27 million a year in average annual value (AAV).

Nevertheless, Christmas came early for those in Dodgers Blue. Now comes the hard part: winning a title.

David Suggs

David Suggs Photo

David Suggs is a content producer at The Sporting News. A long-suffering Everton, Wizards and Commanders fan, he has learned to get used to losing over the years. In his free time, he enjoys skateboarding (poorly), listening to the likes of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and D’Angelo, and penning short journal entries.