The Los Angeles Dodgers made the two biggest splashes of the offseason with the signings of Shohei Ohtani to a 10-year, $700 million contract and Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a 12-year, $325 million contract.
Ohtani and Yamamoto were among the players who reported to Camelback Ranch last week as they prepare for their first Spring Training with the team.
Ohtani has already made headlines after hitting 11 home runs on 20 swings in his first live batting practice session of the spring. As for Yamamoto, he is still adjusting to some of the changes that come with the jump to MLB, including a slightly different baseball than the one used in Japan.
As Ohtani and Yamamoto get acclimated to their new team, Miguel Rojas revealed that the two were added to the Dodgers group chat, via Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
Miguel Rojas on #Dodgers group chat this winter: “It was pretty obvious we all knew we have to close the deal and that means winning postseason games.”
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) February 14, 2024
Rojas said Ohtani and Yamamoto have joined the group chat this week.
"We do a lot of things together off the field and that’s something … hopefully the mojo and routines we have here, they get along with us and hopefully they feel as comfortable as they can as soon as possible"— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) February 14, 2024
The Dodgers are one of the most tight-knit groups in the league, and the inclusions of Ohtani and Yamamoto to their group chat should hopefully make them feel more at home.
Ohtani and Yamamoto will be instrumental to the Dodgers’ success this season, and the quicker they become comfortable, the better they should perform.
Ohtani will be sidelined as a pitcher this season but expects to be the Dodgers designated hitter on Opening Day. Meanwhile, Yamamoto is on track to start in one of the team’s two games against the San Diego Padres in the Seoul Series.
Dodgers group text reaction to Dodgers signing Shohei Ohtani
When reports came out that Ohtani was signing with the Dodgers, Evan Phillips revealed the club’s group chat reacted favorably to the news.
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