Dodgers' Projected 2024 Rotation After Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani Contracts

The Los Angeles Dodgers made another free agency splash, signing Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Thursday night (via Jack Curry of Yes Network).

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported that Yamamoto's deal is worth $325 million over 12 years, representing the largest contract signed by a pitcher in MLB history. The Dodgers will pay an additional $50.6 million in posting fees.

Los Angeles already acquired two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani earlier in free agency, signing him to a record-breaking 10-year contract worth $700 million. However, Ohtani opted to defer most of his annual salary until 2034 and will instead earn just $2 million each season before his contract is up (via Spotrac).

He'll receive $68 million annually from 2034-43, which has allowed the Dodgers to have more financial flexibility to sign players such as Yamamoto. The 25-year-old's arsenal includes a tough fastball and a lively curveball to go along with a deadly splitter.

Despite owning an estimated $285 million payroll in 2024, Los Angeles' rotation is projected to be one of the best in baseball next season and will likely get even more imposing in 2025 (per FanGraphs). Here's the projected starting rotation for 2024.

2024 Los Angeles Dodgers Projected Starting Rotation

• Yoshinobu Yamamoto
• Walker Buehler 
• Tyler Glasnow 
• Bobby Miller 
• Emmet Sheehan

The Dodgers announced on Dec. 16 that they had traded for Glasnow, who was coming off a 10-7 season with the Tampa Bay Rays while recording a 3.53 ERA. As part of the deal, Los Angeles inked the 30-year-old to a five-year contract worth roughly $136 million. Glasnow should complement Yamamoto and Buehler nicely in the front of the rotation.

2025 Los Angeles Dodgers Projected Starting Rotation

• Shohei Ohtani
• Yoshinobu Yamamoto 
• Tyler Glasnow
• Dustin May
• Bobby Miller
  

With Ohtani set to take the mound in 2025 after fully recovering from elbow surgery, the Dodgers' starting rotation has the potential to be star-studded. Clayton Kershaw could also return to Los Angeles this winter, although he's still reportedly considering his options in free agency (via ESPN).

Los Angeles' 100-win season in 2023 ended with a shocking sweep in the NL Division series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, with pitching being the main culprit. In the three games, Dodgers starters gave up 13 earned runs in just 4.2 combined innings of work. Los Angeles' front office is going above and beyond to ensure that a similar pitching collapse doesn't happen again.