Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman had no interest in entertaining any questions about the upcoming international talent pool before the start of the 2024 World Series, but with the championship now back in the land of blue, his attention must quickly shift to the offseason.
There is one overseas star who has been linked to LA for over a year, with many people believing it is not a matter of if but when he will join the Dodgers. Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto could be welcoming in their World Baseball Classic teammate in the coming months.
“The suspicion is, among many in the industry, almost everyone in the industry, [is] that if this guy is posted, Roki Sasaki becomes available, the Los Angeles Dodgers will be the heavy, heavy favorites to sign him,” insider Ken Rosenthal reported on “Fair Territory,” via MLB Deadline News.
Sasaki is a two-time Nippon Professional Baseball All-Star with the Chiba Lotte Marines and helped Japan win another WBC title in March of 2023. His impending arrival depends on if the Marines decide to let him jump to MLB. If an agreement is reached by this winter, the 23-year-old right-handed pitcher will be a highly sought-after free agent.
Besting the Dodgers in the Sasaki sweepstakes will require one heck of an offer, however. While it is unclear what the athlete himself values from a prospective employer, a West Coast team that rosters two countrymen and just so happens to be the new champion seems like an appealing destination.
Dodgers could become an even bigger brand with possible Sasaki signing
Los Angeles will probably be willing to spend big money in the offseason once again and is constantly in need of more pitching help. The ballclub survived a swath of injuries to its starting rotation and bullpen in 2024, but overcoming significant adversity is not something teams tend to do two years in a row.
The Dodgers would probably not have won the title if they had not added Jack Flaherty at the trade deadline. Now, Friedman has the opportunity to be prescient again and increase the team's chances of having a sufficient staff for the playoffs. Beyond the asset he can be on the mound, Roki Sasaki would further raise the franchise's global profile.
A trio of Japanese sensations would continue to make the Dodgers a prime choice to headline MLB games in Asia, just as Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto did back in March during the season opening series versus the San Diego Padres in Seoul, South Korea. Sasaki may be interested in walking a different path to The Show, but LA will surely get a shot to make its pitch.
And as almost any player of any heritage can attest, it is quite an impressive one.
Follow Us
Subscribe
