LOS ANGELES — Talented Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki has announced through an Instagram post his decision to join the Los Angeles Dodgers, the reigning World Series champions.
At just 23 years old, this right-handed pitcher possesses a fastball that can reach over 100 mph. With this move, he teams up with other prominent Japanese players, including Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, a transition that many in the baseball community had anticipated for some time.
The San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays were reported as the main competitors vying for Sasaki’s signature, but he has until next Thursday to finalize his contract with the Dodgers.
In his post, written in Japanese, Sasaki stated, “I have signed a minor contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. It was a very difficult decision, but I will do my best. I hope that once I look back on my life as a baseball player, I will feel that this was the correct decision. During my news conference for joining the club, I hope to wear my Dodgers uniform, feeling gratitude for all those who have supported me.”
The Dodgers have an international signing bonus pool totaling $5,146,200. However, there is potential for this amount to increase by up to 60% if they make trades in the coming week.
To facilitate Sasaki’s transition to Major League Baseball, the Dodgers are considering a six-man starting rotation. This strategic decision comes as they aim to become the first team to win back-to-back championships since the New York Yankees achieved this from 1998 to 2000.
Sasaki was made available to MLB teams under a 45-day window by the Chiba Lotte Marines of Japan’s Pacific League as part of the posting agreement between Nippon Professional Baseball and MLB. Owing to his age and lack of six years of service time in NPB, Sasaki is classified as an international amateur by MLB and is restricted to a minor league contract governed by the signing bonus pools.
The Marines will receive a release fee calculated at 25% of Sasaki’s signing bonus.
During a previous news conference at the winter meetings, Sasaki’s agent, Joel Wolfe, addressed rumors regarding a pre-existing agreement with the Dodgers. He stated that MLB had conducted an investigation and emphasized that there had been no such deal.
“There was a lot of discussion in the media, in the league, in NPB about Roki’s situation,” Wolfe explained. “There were some accusations and allegations, all of them false, about predetermined deals. However, MLB rightly wanted to ensure that there was a fair and level playing field for everyone, so they conducted their due diligence and interviewed numerous parties beforehand.”
Last year, Sasaki finished with a record of 10-5 and a 2.35 ERA over 18 games, achieving 129 strikeouts in 111 innings, a season curtailed by shoulder issues. In 2023, he had a record of 7-4 with a 1.78 ERA across 15 starts, hampered by an oblique injury. Over four seasons with the Marines, his overall record stands at 29-15 with a remarkable 2.10 ERA, including a perfect game pitched against Orix in April 2022.
The Dodgers are set to kick off their first spring training session on February 11 in Glendale, Arizona, ahead of their two-game opening series against the Chicago Cubs in Tokyo on March 18 and 19.
