Roki Sasaki is joined by team officials after being introduced by the Dodgers at a press conference on Wednesday. From left: team president and co-owner Stan Kasten; general manager Brandon Gomes; president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman; and field manager Dave Roberts.
The 23-year-old pitching star was one of the most coveted free agents on the offseason market.
By MIKEY HIRANO CULROSS, Rafu Sports Editor
Roki Sasaki seemed particularly stoic as he was being fitted with his new Dodgers jersey. For a young player suddenly the center of attention in a new country, this must all have been a bit overwhelming.
“I’m honored so many teams reached out to me, especially since I feel that I haven’t accomplished that much in Japan,” Sasaki admitted.
The Japanese pitching phenom and one of the most highly-sought players this offseason was officially introduced by the Dodgers as their latest signee. And what a prize he is.
In an online post Jan. 17, the 23-year-old, who boasts a fastball approaching 103 miles per hour, wrote, “It was a very difficult decision, but I will do my best to make it the right decision when I look back after my baseball career.”
At Wednesday’s press conference at Dodger Stadium, Sasaki thanked everyone for their attendance during what has been a tragic time in L.A.
“Unfortunately, I have experience with natural disasters, so I know how difficult it can be,” said the native of Rikuzentakata, in Japan’s northern Iwate Prefecture.
That town was one of several virtually wiped off the map by the devastating tsunami triggered by a 9.0-magnitude earthquake in 2011. Sasaki’s father and paternal grandparents all perished, and his home was washed away.
His sparkling success at Ofunato High School made him a symbol of hope and recovery across Japan.
Sasaki said a host of factors went into his choice of teams.
He said joining countrymen Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto was a plus, but what impressed him most was the Dodgers’ organization and their commitment to helping him become the best he can be.
He also said he is comforted by the presence of a large Nikkei community in L.A.
“I feel good knowing that a player from Japan can be so embraced by a team and its city,” he explained.
Because of his age, Sasaki is initially limited to an international minor league contract and the league minimum salary for his first two MLB seasons. The Dodgers reportedly have agreed to a $6.5 million signing bonus and will have control of Sasaki for six years. Salary arbitration will likely be available in 2027, when he could sign a much more lucrative deal, depending on his performance.
Up to 20 major league teams were said to have been pursuing Sasaki, including the San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays.
Although he has been somewhat injury-prone in his four seasons with Japan’s Chiba Lotte Marines, Sasaki has been stunning when healthy. In April 2022, he threw a perfect game that included 13 consecutive strikeouts and 19 overall. In his very next start, he tossed eight more perfect innings before giving way to a relief pitcher.
Saying his client chose a team that would offer the resources to be come one of the greatest pitchers in the history of baseball, agent Joel Wolfe said Sasaki’s decision to join the 2024 World Series champs was based around factors including the chance to play in the postseason, the size of the team market and having other Japanese players on the team.
The Atlantic reported Sasaki’s love for basketball figured into his choice, with Lakers legend Magic Johnson part of the Dodgers’ ownership group. A photo posted to social media shows a smiling Sasaki receiving an autographed Lakers jersey from Johnson.
It has also been reported that the stability of the Dodgers’ organization helped seal the deal for L.A., despite their signing bonus offer being well under the $10 million offered by the Padres. San Diego has been mired in ongoing legal battles within its ownership, according to numerous reports.
Sasaki joins Ohtani and Yamamoto on a formidable Dodgers pitching roster that includes Tyler Glasnow and newly-signed Blake Snell. Ohtani, who did not pitch in 2024 as he recovered from elbow surgery, aims to be back on the mound in 2025.
Factoring in Clayton Kershaw or Dustin May, L.A. may begin next season with a six-man pitching rotation – common in Japan, as opposed to the standard five-man schedule normally used in the majors.
Last month, Wolfe said Sasaki’s experience in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, in which he made two starts and struck out 11 for tournament winner Japan, convinced him he was ready to make the jump to the U.S. big leagues.
“Being around [Yu] Darvish, being around Ohtani, and then seeing [Shota] Imanaga come over and dominate at such a level in the first half, I believe he realized … in order to take it to the next level, he had to come here, play against the best players in the world every day and tap into all the resources that Major League teams have,” the agent explained.
It is expected Sasaki will wear jersey No. 11, worn last season by infielder Miguel Rojas. Rojas will retake his rookie number of 72.
Per international posting rules, Sasaki had a deadline of Jan. 16 to either agree to terms with a U.S. team or return to his Japanese club. His photo on Instagram last week was accompanied by a look forward to being introduced in Los Angeles and donning Dodger blue.
“At an introductory press conference, I would like to put on a Dodgers jersey while thinking about everyone who has supported me,” he wrote.