The Los Angeles Dodgers have finally agreed on a deal with Roki Sasaki, and it still doesn't feel real for many Dodger fans.
Knowing that the 2025 rotation of Shohei Ohtani, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto is adding someone who had a 2.10 career ERA in Nippon Professional Baseball certainly feels like something out of a video game.
Not to mention, Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May, and Bobby Miller will all be back as potential options either in the rotation or out of the bullpen.
Dodger fans have been spoiled with this other-worldly roster L.A. has assembled, and recently, MLB Network insider Jon Morosi provided promising insight into Sasaki's mindset on his future.
"I'm told the ambition of Roki Sasaki is to become the best-ever Japanese pitcher in Major League Baseball," Morosi said.
"He has seen Japanese players, Japanese superstars Shohei Ohtani [and] Yoshinobu Yamamoto, arrive to Los Angeles and thrive with the Dodgers.
"The Dodgers, in Sasaki's mind, were the place where he can make the easiest adjustment in 2025 setting himself up for an historic career to come."
The Dodgers are already the defending champions of the baseball world. They're known for their pitching development, and will now have the jewel of this year's free agent class to work with.
Sasaki is entering a soft landing spot in terms of needing to contribute on day one.
The Dodgers have an embarrassment of riches on the pitching staff, meaning Sasaki won't be relied upon to be an ace once he begins his career.
In fact, he will likely be the team's fifth or sixth starter. Thus, there won't be immense pressure to live up to the hype when he makes his debut. He'll have plenty of time to develop, whether it be in the minor leagues or just in the back of the L.A. rotation.
For Sasaki, he'll also always have the comfort of knowing the strong lineup behind him.
A fellow member of the pitching rotation, Shohei Ohtani, was recovering from a September 2023 elbow surgery to repair a torn UCL. This would keep him from the mound in 2024, but allowed him to develop even further as a hitter.
Already coming off a 44-home-run season in 2023 and now with extra time to focus on hitting, Ohtani clobbered that mark with 54 on his way to earning National League MVP honors. He did so while adding an unprecedented 59 stolen bases to become the first player in MLB history with over 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a given season.
And it doesn't stop there.
The Dodgers led the National League in home runs, ranked second in the majors in RBIs, and were the MLB leaders in OPS as a team.
Sasaki is joining a system where he can realistically achieve the goals set for himself. There will be no shortage of talent in the rotation, on the roster, or in the dugout to ensure he gets to where he wants to be.
