MLB Rumors: Dodgers Eyeing Yoshinobu Yamamoto amid Shohei Ohtani's Deferred Contract

The Los Angeles Dodgers are "aggressively" pursuing Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto in free agency, according to Russell Dorsey of Bally Sports.

Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated later confirmed the Dodgers' interest in Yamamoto in addition to free agent pitcher Josh Hader.

After Shohei Ohtani will reportedly defer $680 million of his $700 million contract until the end of his 10-year deal, the Dodgers have much more financial flexibility (per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic). The deferred money will be paid to the two-way superstar without interest from 2034 through 2043.

Yamamoto is expected to meet with Los Angeles "later this week," via Dorsey.

The 25-year-old recorded a 1.21 ERA in Japan's Pacific League this past season, totaling 169 strikeouts against 28 walks in 164 innings of work. He finished with a record of 16-6 as a starter, winning MVP of the league for the third consecutive year.

Although the Dodgers are armed with the resources to sign Yamamoto due to Ohtani's contract structure, there are still several possible suitors for the right-hander other than Los Angeles. The New York Mets and the New York Yankees are among the notable teams interested in signing him, with Yankees general manager Brian Cashman openly expressing his interest in the free agent (per Greg Joyce of the New York Post).

"We were impressed," Cashman said about Yamamoto during MLB winter meetings, via Joyce. "There's reasons we send our pro scouts over and we have a scout on the ground over there, to make sure we don't miss out on any opportunities that might present themselves. He's a tremendous opportunity for anybody and I'll just leave it at that. But a very impressive and talented player."

The San Francisco Giants also met with Yamamoto on Sunday, according to ESPN's Buster Olney. However, the Dodgers may have an advantage over the competition given the familiarity between the ace and Los Angeles' new superstar. Yamamoto and Ohtani were teammates as they represented Japan during the 2023 World Baseball Classic, winning the title.

Yamamoto is expected to command a salary worth around $300 million, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today.