The Los Angeles Dodgers won the recent MLB offseason by a landslide, as they signed unicorn and two-time American League Most Valuable Player Shohei Ohtani and pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto. But baseball fans might have to start getting ready for the potential of the National League West division powerhouse getting yet another Japanese superstar.
It appears that the Dodgers are already being expected by at least some people in baseball circles to eventually strike a deal with 22-year-old hurler Roki Sasaki, per Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY.
Just when you think the Dodgers can’t possibly sign any more stars, several GMs believe that Roki Sasaki, 22, one of the best pitchers in the world, already has plans to sign with the Dodgers after the season.
“Every team in baseball wants this guy,” one GM told USA TODAY Sports, “but there’s no way he’s going anywhere else but the Dodgers. We all know it.”
Dodgers to acquire yet another Japanese star?
Non-Dodgers baseball fans may have to brace for the possibility of Los Angeles winning another major free agency sweepstakes involving a top-tier player from the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
Although there is nothing concrete yet linking Sasaki to the Dodgers at the moment — Sasaki has not been posted yet — Los Angeles getting the likes of Ohtani and Yamamoto in just a single offseason is undeniable proof of the franchise's power to get desired targets, especially involving Japanese players.
And having Ohtani and Yamamoto on the roster already gives the Dodgers a distinct advantage over the rest of the big leagues.
Plus, it doesn't look like the Dodgers have to move heaven and earth, financially speaking, to sign someone like Sasaki, who's played in only three seasons professionally, thus far, as noted by Danny Abriano of SNY.
“If Sasaki is posted during the 2024-25 offseason, or any offseason before his 25th birthday, he will be forgoing a huge payday. That's because MLB rules do not allow players under 25 and with fewer than six professional seasons to sign anything but a minor league deal. In Sasaki's case, the deal would count toward his signing team's international bonus pool allotment.”
Sasaki tried to convince his Japanese team, the Chiba Lotte Marines, in the last offseason to have him posted, but his request was turned down.
In any case, Sasaki is indeed one of the most talented pitchers in the world today. In the 2023 NPB season, he went 7-4 with an impressive 1.78 EREA and just a 0.747 WHIP across 15 appearances for the Marines. It's also worth noting that Sasaki is the youngest ever player in Japanese history to pull off a perfect game when he completed the feat for Chiba last season. For comparison, Yamamoto had a 17-6 record and racked up a 1.16 ERA and 0.860 WHIP in 24 mound appearances for two teams in the 2023 NPB campaign.
Through three season in his professional career in Japan, Sasaki has amassed a 20-10 record and a 1.90 ERA along with a 0.827 WHIP.
Although it sounds like the Dodgers are early favorites to land Sasaki if he gets the clearance to try his luck in the United States, they can expect other ball clubs to put up a fight. The New York Mets, New York Yankees, and the St. Louis Cardinals are mentioned by Abriano to have scouted Sasaki in a recent start in Japan.
Follow Us
Subscribe