Dodgers sign Yoshinobu Yamamoto to record-breaking deal; Rams top Saints in key NFC clash

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Good morning to everyone but especially …

YOSHINOBU YAMAMOTO AND THE LOS ANGELES DODGERS

Less than two weeks after giving two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani the biggest contract in MLB history, the Dodgers followed that up by giving Yoshinobu Yamamoto the biggest contract for a pitcher in MLB history. The 25-year-old Japanese righty has agreed to sign a 12-year, $325-million deal to team up with his countryman Ohtani and the rest of Los Angeles’ stars.

• Yamamoto comes stateside after seven dominant seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball with the Orix Buffaloes. He won the last three pitching triple crowns (wins, ERA, strikeouts) and the last three MVP awards.
• Prior to Yamamoto, the last NPB player to win three straight MVP awards was Ichiro Suzuki. So, yeah, he’s in good company.
• The Dodgers beat out a bevy of contenders, including the Yankees and Mets. The $325 million is $1 million more than Gerrit Cole‘s contract.
• In between signing Ohtani and Yamamoto, the Dodgers also traded for and extended Tyler Glasnow. The rotation, a huge question mark just weeks ago, now includes Yamamoto, Glasnow, Walker Buehler and promising youngsters Bobby Miller and Emmet Sheehan. Clayton Kershaw, currently a free agent, could return, too, and Ohtani is expected to pitch in 2025.

There are, of course, risks in this deal — Yamamoto has never pitched in MLB — but there’s a reason he was R.J. Anderson’s second-best free agent available, only behind Ohtani.

• Anderson: “He is, in our estimation, the best pitcher in the world to have never suited up for an MLB team. … Talent evaluators have raved to CBS Sports about Yamamoto for years, citing his high-grade command over a good arsenal as the most impressive part of his game. He throws a mid-90s fastball about half the time, complementing it with a swing-and-miss splitter and a high-spin curveball. Each of those pitches went for a strike at least 65% of the time this season, reinforcing the notion that he paints with a fine-tip brush.”

For those of you keeping track at home, that’s more than $1 BILLION spent on two free agents this offseason. The Dodgers are not messing around.

Honorable mentions

• The Grizzlies are 2-0 with Ja Morant this season.
• Kentucky added four-star 2024 small forward Billy Richmond.
• Here are the Pro Bowl competitions.
• UCF fans raised nearly $27,000 for its NIL collective.

Not so honorable mentions

• Florida State called a special board of trustees meeting for today, reportedly to discuss the school leaving the ACC.
• We had another ball inflation issue involving the Patriots.
• Ravens players are not happy about being home underdogs to the 49ers.

Rams top Saints to move into playoff picture

Last season took a lot out of the Rams. After winning the Super Bowl, they sputtered to a 5-12 record. Sean McVay considered retirement. Aaron Donald, Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp had major injuries. The organization’s win-now approach had indeed won a Super Bowl but left the team bereft of draft capital and, in turn, young building blocks. Last year looked to be the tip of a tough reality-check iceberg.

Then they nailed their draft picks and made shrewd free agency moves, and Donald, Stafford, Kupp and McVay reminded everyone that they weren’t done yet. Not even close. The Rams continued their remarkable turnaround with a 30-22 victory over the Saints to improve to 8-7.

• Fifth-round gem Puka Nacua had nine catches for 164 yards and a score. He’s up to 96 catches this season — third-most by a rookie ever. It was his third game with at least 150 yards receiving, tied with Ja’Marr Chase and Randy Moss for most by a rookie in the Super Bowl era.
• He also recovered an onside kick and ran for a crucial first down to help seal the game. Nacua can do it all, notes Jared Dubin.
• Last year’s fifth-round pick, Kyren Williams, had 104 yards rushing and a touchdown. He’s third in yards from scrimmage per game this year.
• As for the old guy running the show, Stafford threw for 328 yards and two scores. He’s fifth in expected points added per dropback this season.

The Rams were the NFL’s second-youngest team entering this season — so young Stafford was having trouble connecting with teammates off the field in the preseason. Their youth shows at times — their secondary crumbled late and their special teams allowed a blocked punt to make the game closer than it should have been — but as the No. 6 seed in the NFC playoff picture, the Rams are one of the league’s best stories so far.

As for the Saints … it’s ugly. Derek Carr was expected to be the missing piece. Instead, he’s just another problem. This franchise continues to think it’s just a move or two away, when really it’s a long way away. The Saints keep pushing off the inevitable teardown, but they’re not even winning while doing so.

NFL Week 16 picks: Key matchups over mega weekend

Christmas comes early … and then on Christmas for NFL fans. After a terrific Thursday night matchup to open up Week 16, there are multiple NFL games on Saturday, Sunday and Monday to carry us through the long holiday weekend.

Let’s start with a key Saturday game, when the Jake Browning-led Bengals visit the Mason Rudolph-led Steelers. OK, maybe it’s not the quarterback matchup we expected when the season started, but with Cincinnati 8-6 and Pittsburgh 7-7, this is among the most important games left in the regular season. Tyler Sullivan is rolling with …

• Sullivan: “I can see Rudolph (7-3 ATS in his career as a starter) giving this Steelers offense a bit of a boost, especially against a Bengals secondary that is giving up 7.5 yards per pass attempt (31st in the NFL). Meanwhile, Cincinnati got banged up in their come-from-behind victory against the Vikings last week with star defensive tackle D.J. Reader going down for the year, and wideout Ja’Marr Chase expected to miss time due to a shoulder injury. Projected score: Steelers 21, Bengals 17 | The pick: Steelers +2“

Moving to Sunday and flipping to the NFC, the Lions can clinch their division for the first time since 1993. The NFC North didn’t even exist back then! That they can do it against their division-rival Vikings makes it all the sweeter. Does Detroit get it done? Will Brinson says yes.

But the Christmas Eve gem is Cowboys-Dolphins. They’re a combined 18-2 against teams .500 or worse and 3-6 against teams with a winning record. It’s a prove-it game, and Pete Prisco believes in …

• Prisco: “This is an enormous game between two really good teams. The Cowboys are playing a second straight road game, which is a challenge after getting beat by the Bills last week. Dallas doesn’t play well on the road, while Miami plays well at home. Pick: Dolphins 30, Cowboys 29“

Here are all of our experts’ picks:

Pete Prisco | Will Brinson | John Breech | Tyler Sullivan | Jordan Dajani

Pistons up to 25 straight losses, and counting …

The Jazz showed up in Detroit for the second night of a road back-to-back with an injury report that was longer than “The Odyssey.” The Pistons had two days off, were playing at home and were even favored. Their youngsters were rolling offensively. So if you’re thinking that last night would have been the night that Detroit would get its first win since October and end its 24-game losing streak, you would be … wait … what?

Yeah, the Pistons’ misery continued with a 119-111 loss to a very, very shorthanded Jazz team … and the details make it even sadder.

• Utah was without its top two scorers — Lauri Markkanen and Jordan Clarkson — as well as Talen Horton-Tucker and Keyonte George.
• So in came Kelly Olynyk, whose 27 points led the way. (He was averaging 7.2 this season.)
• Detroit got 74 points from the trio of Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey and Marvin Bagley III, but the same trio also committed 20 turnovers.
• Fans chanted, “Sell the team.”

The record for most consecutive losses in a single season is 26 held by the 2013-14 76ers and the 2010-11 Cavaliers, however, the longest slide ever is 28, which the 76ers accomplished during the 2014-15 and 2015-16 campaigns.

Here’s the Pistons’ upcoming schedule and the ramifications if they keep losing:

• Tomorrow at Nets (loss ties single-season record)
• Tuesday vs. Nets (loss establishes new single-season record)
• Thursday at Celtics (loss ties all-time record)
• Dec. 30 vs. Raptors (loss establishes new all-time record)

Please make it a happy, or at least a not-super-sad end to the year, Pistons.

What we’re watching this weekend

Friday

Gasparilla Bowl: Georgia Tech vs. UCF, 6:30 p.m. on ESPN
Nuggets at Nets, 7:30 p.m. on NBA TV
No. 13 Illinois vs. Missouri (M), 9 p.m. on FS1
Wizards at Warriors, 10 p.m. on ESPN

Saturday

 Seven college football bowl games, schedule here
Bucks at Knicks, 12:30 p.m. on NBA TV
No. 4 Arizona vs. No. 14 FAU (M), 3 p.m. on Fox
Bengals at Steelers, 4:30 p.m. on NBC
St. John’s at No. 5 UConn (M), 8 p.m. on Fox

Sunday

Browns at Texans, 1 p.m. on CBS
Lions at Vikings, 1 p.m. on Fox
Colts at Falcons, 1 p.m. on Fox
Jaguars at Buccaneers, 4:05 p.m. on CBS
Cowboys at Dolphins, 4:25 p.m. on Fox