A Superteam Rises at Hollywood

The 2024 World Series was decided on the Thursday before Christmas — or so it seemed when the Los Angeles Dodgers signed a Japanese pitcher, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, to a 12-year, $325 million contract. Mr. Yamamoto, perhaps the most accomplished pitcher in the history of baseball in Japan, joins the American League Most Valuable Player, Shohei Ohtani, who signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers last week. Add in another pitcher, Tyler Glasnow, and the Dodgers have committed $1.1 billion to three players.Landing Mr. Yamamoto is a coup for the Dodgers. The 25-year-old right-hander becomes the ace of a revamped staff that will not include Mr. Ohtani, who won’t be able to pitch until 2025 following elbow surgery. The Dodgers are hoping he’ll be ready to play the outfield at some point in 2024. In the meantime, his potent bat will be in the lineup.Mr. Yamamoto’s deal edges the nine-year, $325 million contract Gerritt Cole signed with the New York Yankees in 2019. Unlike Mr. Ohtani’s agreement, it will not feature any deferred money. That unusual payment plan has allowed him to put together his own “Dream Team,” much like when basketball legend LeBron James did when he signed with the Miami Heat and was joined by Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.Mr. Ohtani will take only $2 million in salary each year and defer the remainder of his $70 million annual salary, creating financial flexibility for the Dodgers to add more talented players. This plan began with trading for Mr. Glasnow, who then agreed to a five-year, $136.5 million extension. Now, Mr. Yamamoto has chosen the Dodgers over attractive offers from the Yankees, Mets, and several other interested clubs.Mr. Ohtani said he “wants me to come on the team and hopes to hit some home runs for me and join me in the pitching staff the following year,” Mr. Glasnow told reporters during an introductory press conference on Zoom.The Dodgers general manager, Brandon Gomes, has seen immediate benefit from signing Mr. Ohtani. “We couldn’t be more excited to have him as part of our group moving forward,” Mr. Gomes told the Dodgers team website, “and know what a tremendous addition he is for the team and the city of Los Angeles and Dodgers fans.”The Dodgers won 100 games last season but were swept in the National League Division Series by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Injuries to the pitching staff didn’t help and clouded the future of the team’s starting rotation. Clayton Kershaw underwent shoulder surgery during the offseason. It is uncertain when the future Hall of Famer will be ready to pitch again. Julio Urias missed two months of the season with a bad hamstring. Messrs. Kershaw and Urias are both free agents.Signing Mr. Yamamoto eases some of those concerns. He added to his long list of accolades this year by winning the Japanese equivalents of the Most Valuable Player and Cy Young award, compiling a 17-6 won-lost record with a 1.21 ERA. At 5 feet at 10 inches tall, Mr. Yamamoto is not a large man, but he is both durable and effective. He has compiled a 1.65 ERA over his last 820 innings. His fastball hits 99 mph, setting up a knee-buckling split-finger pitch along with a snapping curveball.

A Superteam Rises at Hollywood

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