The Los Angeles Dodgers have focused on improving their starting rotation, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto being the best option after signing Shohei Ohtani to a record-breaking deal.

Yamamoto has 45 days to sign as part of the posting process to transfer from Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) to Major League Baseball (MLB). The period ends at 2:00 p.m. on January 4, 2024. He started his free agency process by holding Zoom meetings with teams, but as of late, he has started holding in-person meetings with the finalists.

It is thought that Yamamoto has met with the New York Yankees, New York Mets, and San Francisco Giants. It is anticipated that he will also meet with the Boston Red Sox and the Toronto Blue Jays.

Regarding the Dodgers, Russell Dorsey of Bally Sports reports that they had a meeting with Yamamoto on Tuesday:

Even after signing Ohtani, who deferred payment in his contract to enable the team to continue spending, the Dodgers are among the favorites to sign Yamamoto despite the lengthy process ahead of them.

If the Dodgers sign the right-hander, they will commit approximately $1 billion to two players this offseason: Yamamoto is expected to sign a $300 million contract.

In spite of this, the Dodgers believe internally that they can add both players to their team because starting pitching is still their greatest need, and they will need to spend a lot of money to strengthen their staff no matter which path they take.

Since Yamamoto is only 25 years old, teams find him even more appealing. Yamamoto is widely regarded as the best pitcher to ever come out of Japan.

This season, he finished 17-6 with a 1.21 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, and 176 strikeouts in 24 starts for the Buffaloes. He also won three MVP awards in a row to cap off his career in Japan, where he was honored with the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) equivalent of the Major League Baseball (MLB) Eiji Sawamura Award.

Options in case Yoshinobu Yamamoto is not acquired by the Dodgers

Additionally, they might try their trade market, where it’s said that Corbin Burnes, Dylan Cease, Shane Bieber, and Tyler Glasnow are available. In their hunt for two starters, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the Dodgers sign one pitcher and acquire another.