Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto insists he would have signed with the Los Angeles team even if Shohei Ohtani had joined someone else

Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto admitted that he would have signed with Los Angeles even if Shohei Ohtani had not recently chosen to join the team as well.

While speaking to reporters during his introductory press conference Yamamoto stated that his primary reasoning for choosing the Dodgers was to position himself to win both now and in the future.

‘I wouldn’t say he was the sole reason in deciding to come here, and if he went somewhere else I probably would have still ended up in L.A,’ Yamamoto said via his interpreter.

‘Winning now and winning into the future was probably the most important thing in making this decision.’ 

The 25-year-old Yamamoto recently signed a 12-year, $325 million deal with the Dodgers and noted that the way Ohtani structured his $700m deal was also a factor in his decision.

He also stated that he would have signed with the Dodgers even if Shohei Ohtani did not

Yamamoto said seeing ex-Dodger Kenta Maeda succeed made him confident he could play well in America

Dodgers GM Brandon Gomes said the entire organization was impressed with Yamamoto 

‘Through my talks with the front office it was really clear that they wanted to win,’ Yamamoto said.

‘On top of that, the fact that Shohei was doing that also signaled that it wasn’t just the front office, it was also the players that bought into this winning atmosphere. That really resonated with me.’ 

Yamamoto also mentioned that seeing other Japanese pitchers like Kenta Maeda succeed with the Dodgers played a factor into his decision.

‘I wouldn’t say that was the sole reason for choosing the Dodgers, but when I was 19 I did come to watch a playoff game here, and in that game, Kenta Maeda did throw and it made me feel more strongly about coming overseas to play in the big leagues,’ said Yamamoto.

Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes also mentioned that after scouting Yamamoto the entire organization came away impressed with the pitcher’s routines and abilities on the mound.

‘When you get to the ballpark, one of the first things you notice is an incredibly impressive game of long toss, where the ball feels like it’s never coming off of a line and oftentimes looks like it’s going to knock the catcher’s mitt right out of his hands,’ Gomes said. 

‘There’s a different level of intent and focus with each and every throw he makes leading up to that night’s game.’