Former MLB outfielder Josh Reddick faced criticism after questioning the Dodgers' signing of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who agreed to a massive 12-year, $325 million deal to join Shohei Ohtani in Los Angeles. Reddick took to social media to express his disbelief, asking how someone could receive such a hefty contract without ever throwing a pitch in MLB. He even agreed with a comment stating that baseball was ruined. However, users quickly pointed out that Reddick had won the 2017 World Series title with the Astros, a team that later became embroiled in a sign-stealing scandal. Reddick's performance during the championship season was impressive, hitting a career-best .314 in the regular season, but his numbers dipped to .169 with a .413 OPS in the playoffs. One user questioned how Reddick could claim to be a "world champion" after cheating, referencing his bio on the social media platform.

Reddick did not directly respond to that particular comment but did reply to another user who mentioned that he didn't admit to cheating like other Astros players allegedly did. Reddick defended himself, stating that he saw no reason to apologize when he believed other teams were engaging in similar practices. According to him, those teams hadn't apologized to him either.

Meanwhile, in Japan, Yamamoto had an outstanding year, going 16-6 with a remarkable 1.21 ERA across 23 outings in 2023. He won the league's Cy Young Award for three consecutive seasons while playing for the Orix Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball. With this signing, Yamamoto will be joining a Dodgers rotation that already acquired Tyler Glasnow, who was added via a trade and extension.

The Dodgers have certainly shown their financial strength this offseason, making significant moves in the market. The signing of Yamamoto adds to their already impressive roster, which includes Ohtani and Glasnow. In total, the Dodgers will be spending a staggering $1,161,500,000 on just three players this season. Alongside these stars, players like Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Chris Taylor will also receive eight-figure salaries.

Comparatively, the Oakland Athletics have spent a mere $1.5 million this offseason, with their biggest addition being reliever Trevor Gott. This amount is less than what Ohtani is earning per season, even after taking into account his deferred payments. Ohtani's contract includes deferrals that will pay him $68 million from 2034 to 2043, which may have contributed to the Dodgers' ability to secure Yamamoto's signature by offering him a $50 million signing bonus.

With their significant investments in top-tier talent, the Dodgers are undoubtedly favored to make it back to the World Series. After winning it all in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, they faltered in the 2021 NLCS against the underdog Braves and subsequently fell in the NLDS in the following two seasons. In 2023, the Dodgers ranked second in the league in OPS and home runs, just behind the Braves in both categories. Adding Ohtani to the lineup should provide a substantial boost to these already impressive offensive numbers. Although Ohtani won't be pitching in 2024 due to elbow surgery, the additions of Glasnow and Yamamoto should bolster a Dodgers pitching staff that battled multiple injuries and finished with a 4.06 ERA last season.