Yoshinobu Yamamoto Reveals How Shohei Ohtani’s Selfless Act Resonated With His Competitive Spirit Amidst Free Agency Negotiations

It’s surreal to say that the no.17 and 18 of the Los Angeles Dodgers are Shohei Ohtani and his compatriot Yoshinobu Yamamoto. It certainly feels like a fever dream. Now that the Blue Crew has introduced Yamamoto, many questions are starting to get answered. So many stories can now be told, one being Yamamoto’s reaction to Ohtani’s huge decision of deferring his salary.

During his introduction conference, Yamamoto divulged his thoughts on the future as a Dodger. While talking about what attracted him the most to Hollywood, Yamamoto revealed his mentality during the team talks and how the Blue Crew seemed to match it.

Shohei Ohtani’s decision resonated with Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Shohei Ohtani shocked the world when it was revealed that he had deferred 97 percent of his salary to the next decade. Though it divided the baseball world, everyone agreed on one fact – Ohtani was serious about winning with the Dodgers. This is something that even Yoshinobu Yamamoto noticed. He said as much during his introduction conference.

The 25-year-old ace talked about the Dodgers’ winning attitude as well. “Through my talks with the front office, it was really clear that they wanted to win, on top of that, the fact that Shohei was doing that (deferring the salary) 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.”

The one consistent report throughout Yamamoto’s free agency was that he preferred a winning project. In NPB he didn’t play with a mega-franchise; as a result, there was always a hunger in him to be part of a historic legacy. Perhaps that’s why the Dodgers seemed like a perfect match to him. After all, they are one of the most consistent teams of recent years.

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The Blue Crew haven’t missed a playoff since 2012. Their winning attitude is known to all and with Ohtani’s act, it has become obvious the entire team is looking to create a dynasty. Yamamoto could prove to be a core member of this mission.

How the Dodgers are on the verge of glory

One needs to remember that this Dodgers team hasn’t gone below 100 wins since 2018. In that period many big franchises have risen and fallen. The Blue Crew are already a quality team and with Shohei Ohtani and Yamamoto they’re on the verge of absolute domination. Though it’d be unfair to Yamamoto for fans to expect fireworks right from the beginning, they’re confident of his skills.

On the other hand, Shohei Ohtani is a generational talent, hungry for a trophy. Also with the Dodgers having two years till they start maintaining Ohtani’s escrow account, the team can go hard in the market. The Dodgers’ dream lineup is going to be a nightmare for the rest of the league.

Read more: Yoshinobu Yamamoto Highlights Shohei Ohtani’s Support, Reveals His Encouraging Attitude Amidst Crucial Free Agency