The Los Angeles Dodgers might be wise to include the National Anthem of Japan and the country's flag in the opening of their games at this point. The Land of the Rising Sun is already bleeding Dodger Blue following the free agency signings of Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but many fans might consider LA a second home if the franchise adds another Japanese star in Roki Sasaki.

When the Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher gets posted, which has already been stalled a bit, the Dodgers are expected to be in heavy pursuit, per Yakyu Cosmopolitan. In fact, they already have their eyes on him.

The organization has scouted the right-hander since high school and is still following his career with the Chiba Lotte Marines. With their international appeal and prominent brand well-established by now, this head start makes the Dodgers extremely dangerous in the future Sasaki sweepstakes.

The 22-year-old requested to be posted for the MLB this offseason but was denied by the Marines. If he can gain permission after the end of the 2024 MLB campaign, fans should expect a similar level of hysteria to the one that transpired during the courtship of Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

A club with pitching depth issues could quickly have an embarrassment of riches in its rotation. Sasaki had a dominant 1.78 ERA and a mind-boggling 135 strikeouts in 91 innings pitched last season and put together arguably the most incredible performance the NPB has ever seen in 2022.

Regardless of what Roki Sasaki does in 2024, LA will be watching closely. Will the rest of the MLB be able to finally beat this juggernaut on the recruiting battlefield?