(Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
In late December, the Los Angeles Dodgers won the Yoshinobu Yamamoto sweepstakes.
The pitcher took the Dodgers’ offer and dismissed late advances from the New York Yankees and Mets to play in LA for the next 12 years, receiving $325 million over that span.
It is believed that the fact that the Dodgers had Shohei Ohtani (Yamamoto’s friend and teammate in the Japan national team) and they are in Los Angeles, a relatively quick flight away from home, were deciding factors for Yamamoto.
As it turns out, the Dodgers also offered some really interesting things to Yamamoto and his family.
“Perks in Yamamoto Dodgers contract: personal trainer; physical therapist, interpreter; 4 business class RT airline tickets ($8,500 max per RT) per year; 1 premium economy RT airline ticket to LA for use by family per year; best efforts to make Japanese food available,” MLB insider Jon Heyman tweeted.
Perks in Yamamoto Dodgers contract: personal trainer; physical therapist, interpreter; 4 business class RT airline tickets ($8,500 max per RT) per year; 1 premium economy RT airline ticket to LA for use by family per year; best efforts to make Japanese food available.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 4, 2024
Not that Yamamoto will need help paying airline tickets with that contract, but these are all nice details by the team and the pitcher’s camp sure appreciates them.
As stated, Los Angeles is much closer to Japan than New York, and that matters in a close decision like this.
Yamamoto, who posted an incredible 1.21 ERA in 164 innings in Japan this past season, will also have a personal trainer, a therapist, and an interpreter at his service, too.
The efforts to make Japanese food available for him also represent a cool way to help him get settled and feel as comfortable as he can.
The Dodgers had several things working in their favor during negotiations, but they also thought outside the box and offered perks that helped convince their man.
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