LOS ANGELES (AP) — Prized free-agent pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto has agreed to a $325 million, 12-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, according to multiple reports.
Yamamoto is set to join Japanese countryman Shohei Ohtani with the Dodgers, who signed the two-way superstar to a record $700 million, 10-year deal last week.
The Dodgers did not confirm the agreement with Yamamoto on Thursday night. MLB.com and ESPN were among the outlets citing anonymous sources in reporting the deal.
Yamamoto was 16-6 with a 1.21 ERA this season, striking out 169 and walking 28 in 164 innings. He is 70-29 with a 1.82 ERA in seven seasons with the Orix Buffaloes. Yamamoto struck out a Japan Series-record 14 in a Game 6 win over Hanshin on Nov. 5, throwing a 138-pitch complete game. Orix went on to lose Game 7.
Orix posted the the 25-year-old right-hander on Nov. 20 and Major League Baseball teams had until Jan. 4 to sign him.
Yamamoto's deal with the Dodgers would be the largest and longest ever guaranteed to a big league pitcher.
Ohtani was a two-time AL MVP with the Los Angeles Angels before becoming a free agent this offseason and moving to the NL West champion Dodgers.
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AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum in New York contributed to this report.
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