The pitching rotation of the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers will get a big boost. On Friday, coveted Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki announced that he will play for the Dodgers.
The 23-year-old took to Instagram to reveal that he is signing a minor league contract with the organization. Saski’s Japanese team, the Chiba Lotte Marines, will receive compensation from the MLB franchise.
Saski is the latest Japanese-born superstar to land in Los Angeles last year. Last winter, superstars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto joined the team. Ohtani was exclusively a designated hitter in 2024, but won the third MVP trophy of his career. He plans to return to the pitcher’s mound in 2025.
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Roki Sasaki of Japan pitches during a Pool B game against the Czech Republic in the World Baseball Classic at the Tokyo Dome, Japan, on March 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman previously said signing Sasaki was considered a “huge priority.” Sasaki met with the Dodgers earlier this week.
The combination of youth and elite talent made Saski a highly sought after prospect.
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However, the Dodgers were long considered the favorites in the race to land the pitcher whose fastball routinely tops 100 mph. He can also throw an impressive splitter, reinforcing his potential to be an ace in a pitching rotation.
Roki Sasaki of Team Japan reacts after an out in the third inning against Team Mexico during the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic at LoanDepot Park on March 20, 2023, in Miami, Florida. (Eric Espada/Getty Images)
A long list of MLB clubs submitted information about their respective organizations to Saski and Wasserman, their representative agency, in December during baseball’s winter meetings.
Roki Sasaki of the Chiba Lotte Marines shoots during a match against the Orix Buffaloes in Chiba, near Tokyo, on April 10, 2022. (Kyodo News via AP, File)
While several of those teams were granted in-person meetings, only three organizations made the short list. In January, the Toronto Blue Jays, San Diego Padres and Dodgers were the last teams under consideration.
The Dodgers’ projected pitching rotation already included Tyler Glasnow, Yamamoto, Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw. Two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell also signed with Los Angeles earlier this offseason.
