The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres will face off in an elimination game at Dodger Stadium in Game 5 of the NLDS.
San Diego will send Yu Darvish to the mound while Los Angeles will have rookie Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitching in front of the home crowd. Darvish (7-3, 3.31 ERA) and Yamamoto (7-2, 3.00 ERA) both have excellent arms and will attempt to win the series for their squads.
This game is incredibly important as both franchises hope to secure a spot in the NLCS, but it is also significant for another reason. It is actually the first time in MLB history that two starting pitchers born in Japan will face off in the postseason.
Of course, the stakes are incredibly high for both organizations.
But this is also an incredibly cool moment for Darvish and Yamamoto, who were teammates for Japan during the 2023 World Baseball Classic when their nation won a gold medal.
LA had to make some room for another $300 million contract for Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The team signed him to a 12-year, $325 million deal. Charles Curtis has you covered here on the winners and losers of the deal.
This deal is one for the ages. By signing Yamamoto, the Dodgers have now spent $1 billion on two players. Just two. Add in Tyler Glasnow’s $136 million deal and you’re up to a little over $1.1 billion between three players. That’s impressive enough. Add in Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman to that equation and we’re nearly talking about another half-billion dollars. That’s a lot of cash, man. And it should lead to a ton of wins.
Make no mistake about it, folks. This is a super team. It might be the most super team that has ever been assembled. This is like taking LeBron James’ Heat and Kevin Durant’s Warriors and combining them. There are All-Stars up and down this team’s lineup.
On one hand, I get it. It’s hard seeing a team stack the deck like this knowing that your favorite team probably can’t compete. Especially considering how good the Dodgers already were to begin with.
But here’s the thing: The games still have to be played. We have no idea how this talent will mesh together. That’s the thing about baseball, right? You can have Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout on the same team and it doesn’t matter if what’s happening around them doesn’t mix. There’s a chance — a slim chance, but a chance nonetheless! — that these Dodgers don’t work. Lots of people are going to watch to see if they do, though. That, objectively, is good for baseball.
Plus, on top of that, I can’t understand the logic of a team going for it all as being bad for baseball. Especially when so many teams just … don’t?
Take this tweet from my pal, Michael Waterloo, for example. In one offseason, the Dodgers have spent as much money as the Pittsburgh Pirates have in 20 years. Twenty years, folks!
The Pirates opening day roster – including 2024 – has had a combined total salary of $1,169,747,570 from 2004-2024.
The Dodgers spent this offseason what the Pirates have spent in 20 years. https://t.co/pw0NPsehgR
That right there? That’s bad for baseball. In a league with no salary cap, not spending means not competing. And the Dodgers are doing the opposite. That’s good. Keep going, Dodgers.
And, honestly, looking back on it, I completely understand my logic! This is a game the Pistons should’ve won, man.
Detroit was at home. The Jazz aren’t good. And, to pile on even further, Utah was missing Lauri Markkanen and Jordan Clarkson who are its two best players. Even Woj thought the Pistons might win.
As opportunies go to end this 24-game losing streak and sidestep the infamy of the all-time single-season record of 26, the Detroit Pistons get a good one at home tonight: The Utah Jazz without Lauri Markkanen, Jordan Clarkson, Keyonte George and Talen Horton-Tucker.
Instead, it’s 25 straight losses. The Pistons are four losses away from the longest losing streak in league history. Cade Cunningham is in denial. Fans are devastated. It’s all bad.
Sorry, Pistons fans. It looks like your favorite team is about to make the wrong type of history.
Your Christmas wishes!
Saint Kick is in the building, folks! I asked you all to send us your Christmas wishes for your favorite sports teams and you did not disappoint. Let’s share some here!
A forlorn Indiana football fan wants “a winning season with the new coaching staff 🏈” I don’t know if Saint Kick is good enough to deliver that winning season, but hey! We’ll see! Maybe Curt Cignetti is that guy. Baby steps, partner.
Another Chiefs fan wants a new group of receivers for his team. Wait … is this … is this Patrick Mahomes?
“Dear Sports Santa, please give the Chiefs a wide receiver that can catch a pass at any point in the game and that Patrick Mahomes can trust. Kadarius Toney has been god-awful all season, getting in his own head and either dropping a pass or straight up bobbling it to the other team. Marquez Valdes-Scantling was given a 3-year, $30 million contract to be a good deep threat or even slot machine. He has not held up his end of the bargain and single-handedly lost us the Eagles game. Skyy Moore can’t stay on the field and can’t get open when he is. Thanks for Rashee Rice though, he’s awesome.”
Shoutout to Rashee Rice earning some love there. That’s nice. Anyway, moving on, the nicest Broncos fan ever also dropped a wish in.
“I would like to see peace on earth and all wars ended. In sports I would like to see the Denver Broncos make it to the Super Bowl. Thank you and merry Christmas and a safe new year.”
Well, now I feel terrible for talking greasy about Sean Payton. Thanks, Broncos fan. I hope your team makes it to the Super Bowl, too.
Photo Friday: Poor Pistons fans
Pistons, I hope you didn’t think I was done with you. The Pistons broadcast caught fans are out here wearing paper bag masks of shame. You never want to see the paper bag masks of shame.
That’s a wrap, folks! Thanks so much for rocking with us today. We appreciate you for reading TMW. Have a fantastic holiday. Til next time! Peace. We out.
First, a reminder: Shohei Ohtani will NOT be part of the already-sick Los Angeles Dodgers’ starting rotation in 2024. He’s recovering from Tommy John surgery and will pitch in 2025.
That said, now that the Dodgers have Yoshinobu Yamamoto as an ace, the rotation at the moment is downright filthy. You’ve got Yamamoto in front, Walker Buehler a full year healthier and just 29 years old, Tyler Glasnow as your No. 2 or 3 after the Rays trade and former first-round pick Bobby Miller, who had a sub-4.00 in his first year.
This graphic has Emmet Sheehan at No. 5, but I wonder if the Dodgers go out and find a veteran to fill that role:
And they’ve used that cash to sign Yoshinobu Yamamoto to an astounding 12-year (!) $325 million (!!) contract late on Thursday night. There was talk that the contract for the 25-year-old Japanese hurler could go over $300 million and that’s exactly what happened as the reported bidding got higher and higher.
The big surprise is the amount of years, but we’ll get to that. Here are the winners and losers of this deal:
The Dodgers won’t stop spending money on great players
The Los Angeles Dodgers have won the second major sweepstakes of the MLB offseason, landing Japanese right hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto with a contract reportedly worth more than $300 million.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan broke the news on Thursday night that Yamamoto was signing with LA for 12 years and $325 million, joining his fellow countryman Shohei Ohtani in blue — and giving the two-way star another reason to enjoy his time at the Rams-Saints game on Thursday night.
The 25-year-old Yamamoto was always expected to get a massive deal after posting a 1.16 ERA, 0.884 WHIP and 9.3 strikeouts per nine innings rate in Japan last year. But the Dodgers spending more than $1 billion this offseason on just two players is a bit harder to process.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto's deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers is the largest contract for a pitcher in Major League Baseball history, beating Gerrit Cole's deal by $1 million. Furthermore, the Dodgers will pay an additional $50.6 million in posting fee. Total outlay: 12 years, $375M.
Minutes after the Rams beat the Saints, the Dodgers signed Yohinobu Yamamoto, and the Rams were ready with a jersey with his name on it
The Los Angeles Rams had the Dodgers’ new superstar Shohei Ohtani in the building for their game against the New Orleans Saints on Thursday night, treating him to a victory at SoFi Stadium. They had him on the field before kickoff and gave him a custom Rams jersey before showing him on the Infinity Screen, which elicited a massive cheer from the crowd.
There were reports that coveted Japanese star Yoshinobu Yamamoto would be in attendance with Ohtani, but he wasn’t there to see the Rams win. His name was everywhere on the internet shortly after the Rams took down the Saints, though.
That’s because the Dodgers landed the outstanding pitcher with a $325 million contract, adding to their superteam in L.A. The Rams were ready with a jersey for Yamamoto, showing it off on social media after the game.
It would’ve been awesome if Yamamoto was in the stands with Ohtani when the signing was announced, but it was great to have one Dodgers superstar in the building.
The Dodgers are the favorite to win the World Series next season after the moves they’ve made this winter, with the latest being the addition of Yamamoto.
The Yankees are a chaotic mess and free agency hasn’t even started yet.
Few MLB teams committed as many errors as the New York Yankees in 2023. General manager Brian Cashman has now added to that unfortunate tally of self-inflicted blemishes.
Last week, Cashman talked about the health of designated hitter/outfielder Giancarlo Stanton in an interview with the New York Daily News. While saying that yes, Stanton remained important to the Yankees’ plans, he also made cutting remarks about his player being “injury-prone.” (Note: Stanton has missed at least 50 games in each of the last two seasons.)
Cashman would later clarify these remarks. Still, even while (kind of?) complimenting Stanton’s hitting talents, Cashman seemingly couldn’t help but continue to fan the flames of comments that almost certainly wouldn’t sit well.
“We try to limit the time he’s [Stanton] down,” Cashman said. “But I’m not gonna tell you he’s gonna play every game next year because he’s not. He’s going to wind up getting hurt again more likely than not because it seems to be part of his game. But I know that when he’s right and healthy — other than this past year — the guy’s a great hitter and has been for a long time.”
I don’t know what Cashman was thinking because there’s virtually zero chance any rational-minded human being wouldn’t take exception to being critiqued like that in a public setting. Naturally, after catching wind of Cashman’s criticism, Stanton’s agent, Joel Wolfe, responded with a passive-aggressive statement that essentially warned pending MLB free agents from signing with the Bronx Bombers. This is awful news for a team that figured to be a major player in this year’s MLB free-agent period.
Giancarlo Stanton’s agent, Joel Wolfe, responds below to Yankees GM Brian Cashman saying of Stanton, “He’s going to wind up getting hurt again more likely than not because it seems to be part of his game.” pic.twitter.com/gZHlqy4cfY
Well, that’s just about the worst possible outcome for Cashman, isn’t it?
Not only did his disappointing Yankees miss last year’s postseason, he might now have to backpedal his comments about Stanton’s health in order to keep New York’s clubhouse together for a hopeful big rebound in 2024. It’s a good thing the New York media is famously kind and fair and won’t pounce the moment Cashman’s team inevitably falls short of its goals and expectations.
Oh, right. Bravo to Cashman. He has probably brought the Yankees’ coming firestorm upon himself.
