Dodgers Rumors: Yoshinobu Yamamoto 'High' on LA's Wish List Amid Yankees, Mets Buzz

Japanese starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto is "high" on the Los Angeles Dodgers' offseason wish list, according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale.

Nightengale included the New York Yankees and New York Mets among the teams that could chase the 25-year-old.

Yamamoto went 17-6 with a 1.16 ERA across 24 appearances for the Orix Buffaloes in 2023. He struck out 176 batters and walked 28 in 171 innings.

Interest in the right-hander figures to be high and is likely to include the usual suspects such as the Dodgers, Yankees and Mets. San Francisco Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi signaled that franchise could make a run as well.

"It's been a pilgrimage over there from front office people to see him," Zaidi said on the Giants Talk Podcast (via Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area). "He's really one of the top starting pitchers in the world. I know it sounds like an exaggeration, but it's not. It sounds like a big statement, but yeah, I think both of those guys will attract some interest and we're just continuing to do our work on them in anticipation of their posting in a couple of months.

Pavlovic reported some executives around MLB believe Yamamoto could get more than $200 million when he eventually signs.

The Dodgers are continually one of the highest-spending teams in baseball. Getting swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League Division Series might lead the front office to adopt an even more aggressive approach in free agency.

Los Angeles also has some money coming off the books in 2024 with Clayton Kershaw and Julio Urías becoming free agents. Max Muncy and Lance Lynn have club options that combine for $32 million as well.

Depending on what happens with Kershaw and Urías, two fixtures of the starting rotation, in particular, the Dodgers might be in desperate need of some pitching help.