LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 31: Yoshinobu Yamamoto #18 of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on from the dugout during the eighth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium on March 31, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)
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In hindsight, the Los Angeles Dodgers have to be happy with how they’ve allocated a top-tier payroll in recent seasons.
The team broke a Major League Baseball record with its contract for two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani and he has been central to their consecutive World Series championships. And another record-breaking deal has paid off as well.
Shortly after signing Ohtani, the Dodgers agreed to a 12-year, $325 million deal for Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the largest ever contract for a player coming straight from the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) league. At the time, that was seen by many as a significant risk, including former Dodgers outfielder Josh Reddick.
“How do you give a guy $325 million without ever throwing a pitch in MLB,” Reddick asked on X, formerly Twitter, shortly after news of the deal was published.
Since then, though, Yamamoto has proven to be one of the best starters in the sport. And he was central to the Dodgers’ latest title, winning the World Series Most Valuable Player Award after recording a complete game and 15 strikeouts with just two earned runs over more than 17 innings pitched.
Given that success, Reddick was recently asked if he regrets his skepticism. And the former player walked back his insult.
“He’s obviously a very, very talented pitcher,” Reddick conceded during an appearance on “Foul Territory.” “So I tip my cap to him. He’s obviously very good. I was wrong, Dodgers fans. Do I apologize? Probably not. But good for him. He’s a great pitcher. I’m glad I don’t have to face him, because that splitter is terrifying.”
Reddick is probably best remembered for his time as a member of the Houston Astros, which included the 2017 World Series championship. But he also played for the Boston Red Sox, Athletics and Arizona Diamondbacks in his career. His best season came in 2012 for the Athletics, when he slashed .242/.305/.463 with 32 home runs, earning a Gold Glove Award and some votes for the Most Valuable Player Award.
In 2016, he was traded to the Dodgers and played with the team for just 47 games before signing with the Astros as a free agent.
Apparently, that brief stint didn’t do much to instill faith in the franchise’s front office, as Reddick seems willing to openly criticize the team’s biggest moves. But now that he’s been proven wrong on Yamamoto, perhaps he will hold off on judging the Dodgers’ future blockbusters, even if he won’t necessarily apologize for any strong opinions.
