LOS ANGELES — Japanese pitching sensation Roki Sasaki announced via Instagram his decision to join the Los Angeles Dodgers, the reigning World Series champions. The 23-year-old right-hander, known for his remarkable fastball that exceeds 100 mph, will become part of an impressive roster alongside other Japanese baseball stars, including Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, a move that many industry insiders had anticipated for some time.
Sasaki’s choice comes amid competition, with the San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays also appearing as potential suitors. He has until next Thursday to finalize the contract. In his Instagram message, conveyed in Japanese, Sasaki expressed that making the choice was challenging, but he is determined to succeed with the Dodgers. “I hope to wear my Dodgers uniform at my introductory press conference and feel gratitude for all who supported me,” he wrote.
At the time of his announcement, the Dodgers had approximately $5,146,200 available in their international signing bonus pool; however, they were open to trading within the next week to increase this limit by as much as 60%. Shortly after Sasaki’s announcement, Los Angeles traded 19-year-old minor league outfielder Arnaldo Lantigua to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for additional international cap space. Lantigua had an impressive season last year, achieving a .301 batting average with 11 home runs and 42 RBIs over 49 games in the Dominican Summer League.
The Dodgers plan to implement a six-man rotation, a strategy that could potentially facilitate Sasaki’s transition to Major League Baseball. The franchise is focused on becoming the first team to win back-to-back championships since the New York Yankees accomplished this feat from 1998 to 2000.
Sasaki was made available to MLB teams through a 45-day window provided by the Chiba Lotte Marines, a team in Japan’s Pacific League, as part of a posting agreement with Major League Baseball. Since Sasaki is under the age of 25 and has not accrued six years of service time in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), he is classified as an international amateur player. This limits him to signing a minor league contract subject to bonus pool regulations. The Marines will receive a release fee equivalent to 25% of Sasaki’s signing bonus.
During a press session at last month’s winter meetings, Sasaki’s agent, Joel Wolfe, addressed rumors regarding a pre-existing agreement with the Dodgers. Wolfe confirmed that Major League Baseball had conducted an investigation. “There was extensive talking within the media, MLB, and NPB regarding Roki’s application,” Wolfe stated. “False allegations about predetermined agreements were made. However, MLB rightfully sought to ensure a fair playing field and conducted thorough inquiries with numerous parties.”
Last season, Sasaki had a record of 10-5 with a 2.35 ERA in 18 games, recording 129 strikeouts over 111 innings, although he faced challenges due to shoulder inflammation. In 2023, he went 7-4 with a 1.78 ERA across 15 starts, having also contended with an oblique injury. Over four seasons with the Marines, he has a career record of 29-15 and a stellar ERA of 2.10, highlighted by a perfect game he pitched against Orix in April 2022.
The Dodgers’ initial spring training session is scheduled for February 11 in Glendale, Arizona, leading up to their season-opening two-game series versus the Chicago Cubs in Tokyo on March 18 and 19.
