LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers have officially welcomed Japanese pitching sensation Roki Sasaki, who recently inked a minor league deal that includes a signing bonus of $6.5 million.
During a news conference outside Dodger Stadium, the 23-year-old pitcher proudly wore his No. 11 jersey, emblazoned with his name, R. Sasaki.
Sasaki is renowned for his right-handed pitching and can deliver a fastball exceeding 100 mph. His signing with the Dodgers became official on Friday, marking the conclusion of a competitive recruiting process that involved several major league teams. With this addition, he joins renowned Japanese talents Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the Dodgers’ roster, something many baseball executives had anticipated for some time.
“I feel incredibly honored that numerous teams expressed such enthusiasm to sign me, especially considering my limited accomplishments in Japan,” Sasaki stated, conveyed through a translator.
Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers’ president of baseball operations, praised Sasaki as “one of the most dynamic and promising young talents in the sport.” He emphasized that the Dodgers had been closely monitoring Sasaki’s performance for the past six years, first spotting him during his high school days in Japan.
Sasaki had a deadline until Thursday to finalize his contract. He qualified as an international amateur player based on Major League Baseball’s regulations, due to his age (under 25) and the absence of six years of service in Japan’s major leagues. This classification means he fell under the international signing bonus pools.
Initially, the Dodgers had a signing bonus pool of $5,146,200. However, following two strategic trades last week, they managed to enhance this amount to $8,102,800, adding $1.5 million from Cincinnati and $1,456,600 from Philadelphia.
The Dodgers are set to implement a six-man rotation, which should aid Sasaki’s adjustment to Major League Baseball. This strategy aligns with their ambition to become the first team to win consecutive championships since the New York Yankees did so from 1998 to 2000.
Sasaki was made available to MLB franchises through a 45-day window established by the Chiba Lotte Marines of Japan’s Pacific League, as part of the posting agreement between Nippon Professional Baseball and MLB.
In return for Sasaki’s release, the Marines will receive a fee of $1,625,000, calculated at 25 percent of his signing bonus.
During last month’s winter meetings, Joel Wolfe, Sasaki’s agent, refuted claims indicating that an agreement with the Dodgers had been prearranged, stating that the MLB had conducted an investigation into the matter.
Last season, Sasaki achieved a record of 10-5 with a 2.35 ERA over 18 games, striking out 129 batters in 111 innings despite facing shoulder inflammation. In 2023, he posted a 7-4 record with an impressive 1.78 ERA across 15 starts, though limited due to an oblique injury. Over his four seasons with the Marines, he’s compiled a career record of 29-15 and a remarkable 2.10 ERA, including a flawless game pitched against Orix in April 2022.
In addition to Sasaki, the Dodgers have also secured agreements with other international amateur free agents, including Venezuelan infielders Luis Tovar ($397,500) and Moises Acacio ($197,500), Panamanian left-hander Adrian Torres ($362,500), and Colombian shortstop Luis Luna ($137,500).
