Roki Sasaki signs with Dodgers

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers bring another star to the city of champions, signing Japanese star right-hander Roki Sasaki, as he announced on Instagram Friday afternoon.

“A very difficult decision, but I will do my best to make it the right decision when I look back after my baseball career.” Sasaki posted on his Instagram.

The 23-year-old was free to sign with any team, but he ultimately chose to sign a minor league contract with Los Angeles including a $6.5 million signing bonus. The Dodgers are bringing in a dynamic trio from Japan for their starting lineup. Sasaki will be joining Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani, who did not pitch in 2024 but is expected to return to the mound this upcoming season.

Additionally, the Dodgers signed Blake Snell this offseason, bringing a former two-time Cy Young Award winner into their rotation as Andrew Friedman and Brandon Gomes work to build a dynasty that will last for the next decade.

The pitching rotation is looking exceptionally deep. Along with Tyler Glasnow, Landon Knack, and Bobby Miller, there will be a strong trio contributing to the latter part of the rotation. There is also potential for a six-man rotation, a strategy that Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has discussed in the past.

The right-handed pitcher reportedly visited Toronto late last week before traveling to San Diego. In San Diego, he was seen training and throwing a bullpen session while wearing a Padres jersey at Petco Park. However, the Dodgers were able to arrange the final meeting, as they met with Sasaki for a second time on Tuesday.

Sasaki had multiple finalist teams he was considering, which delayed his decision to join the Dodgers. Both the Blue Jays and the San Diego Padres were in contention for him until late in the process. However, early Friday morning, it was reported that Sasaki had removed the Padres from his list of top three choices. This left the Blue Jays and the Dodgers as the final contenders to sign him.

The decision was not easy, but I learned that the Dodgers are not just a team that wins many games; they are a team that helps you grow and develop to reach your full potential.

Sasaki played for four seasons with the Chiba Lotte Marines, achieving an impressive 2.02 ERA and recording 524 strikeouts against 91 walks in 414 ⅔ innings. The pitches you can expect to see from Sasaki include a powerful fastball that exceeds 100MPH and a splitter, which is considered one of the most challenging pitches to face, coming in at the high 90s.

The trio of Ohtani, Yamamoto, and Sasaki were teammates on Team Japan during the World Baseball Classic, where they defeated Team USA. They maintained a strong relationship afterward, with Ohtani playing a key role in bringing both Yamamoto and Sasaki onto the team.

Sasaki's situation is unique; he is limited to signing a minor-league contract with a signing bonus because he is under 25. He will earn the major league minimum during his first three seasons.