Friday, December 22, 2023
Copyrighted by Sarah Morris, 2023
Thursday night, Yoshinobu Yamamoto chose to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He signed a 12-year $325 million contract, the most extended deal in the history of the major leagues for a pitcher. At 25, Yamamoto has accomplished everything that a pitcher can in Japan. With the additions of Tyler Glasnow and Yamamoto, the Dodgers have one of the best starting rotations in the major leagues, but they need one more starter to provide much-needed depth. Also, they need a good-hitting left fielder.
Yamamoto has outstanding command and limits the number of home runs hits off him. Three times, he won the Japanese Cy Young Award and an MVP. His split-finger fastball is devasting, but some people worry the pitch will put undo stress on his elbow, leading to Tommy John surgery. Almost every major league pitcher has had some significant arm surgery. Yamamoto was the best starter on the market, and the Dodgers took a chance on him.
Since in Japan, teams have a six-man rotation, and the Dodgers need to consider this. A six-man rotation prevents injuries and enables their starters to go deeper in the games. Most Japanese starters who have gone to the American major leagues have had difficulty adjusting to a five-man rotation. When Tyler Glasnow hasn’t pitched more than 120 innings, he would benefit from a six-man rotation.
The Dodgers need one more veteran starter to go with Yamamoto. Lucas Giolito would be a perfect fit. He is coming off a bad season with the Chicago White Sox and the Los Angeles Angels. He had 8 wins and 15 losses with a 4.88 ERA. Over the years, the Dodgers have developed a reputation for being to fix pitchers. It doesn’t always work like with Noah Syndergaard, but most reclamation projects have worked great for the Dodgers.
Mookie Betts, Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, and Will Smith are fantastic hitters, but they need protection. The Dodgers have Gavin Lux coming off a severe knee injury and James Outman entering his second season. The Dodgers need a left fielder. Chris Taylor is more valuable to the team for his ability to play multiple positions. The Dodgers don’t have a bench.
