3 reasons why Dodgers' $325,000,000 gamble on Yoshinobu Yamamoto will pay off

The Los Angeles Dodgers officially announced that Yoshinobu Yamamoto will be signing on Wednesday. The two sides agreed to a massive record-breaking 12-year, $325 million contract.

The team will introduce Yamamoto to the public on Wednesday evening with a press conference. It will be the first time the five-time NPB All-Star will put on the Dodger Blue.

$325 million is quite a lot to spend on somebody who has yet to throw a pitch on an MLB mound. So, today, we look at why this $325 million gamble will pay off.

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3 reasons the Dodgers made the right choice by signing Yoshinobu Yamamoto for a record-breaking contract

#3. Age

Yoshinobu Yamamoto is just 25 years old, a rare find for international players. Most Japanese players must acquire nine years of service time before being posted. However, Yamamoto did not have nine years of service time, so the Dodgers were hit with a $50 million posting fee. The posting fee is determined by a percentage of the player's total contract.

Being so young, there is still plenty of time to grow and develop as a player. While Yamamoto is an elite now, he could become even better over the next few years.

#2. Talent

Yamamoto was the top-rated pitcher on the open market and for good reasons. He has been dominant in the NPB. So far, he is a five-time All-Star, three-time Japanese Triple Crown winner, and three-time Pacific League MVP, just to name a few.

He has nearly been untouchable during his career thus far. In his last three seasons, he has not had an ERA below 1.68. And he is coming off his second career no-hitter back in September.

His fastball can touch 99 MPH, and he has a slider, rainbow curveball, and wipeout splitter to go with it. Yamamoto has a great command of the strike zone and can throw all of his pitches with great command.

#1. Talent around him

The Dodgers have an All-Star-level roster. They will not have much trouble scoring runs between Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman. Last season, without Ohtani, they finished second in the league in terms of slugging percentage.

The starting rotation has also taken shape. The expected rotation will likely be Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Walker Buehler, Bobby Miller, and Emmet Sheehan.

This is going to be one exciting team to watch when the 2024 season gets underway.