The Los Angeles Dodgers are coming off winning the World Series this offseason and now they are in the process of trying to figure out how to go about their winter plans. One of those plans could include them updraging the starting rotation.
Los Angeles has long been linked to Japanese superstar Roki Sasaki. There has been questions about when the pitcher would enter Major League Baseball but that has all been put to bed now.
His Japanese club, the Chiba Lotte Marines, announced that they have begun the process of posting Sasaki. He will now be able to sign with a MLB team and the Dodgers are considered to be the favorites to land the superstar.
In the announcement, Sasaki also included a message.
“Since I joined the team, the team has been listening to my thoughts about my future challenge in the MLB, and I am very grateful to the team for officially allowing me to post now. There were many things that did not go well during my five years with the Marines, but I was always supported by my teammates, staff, front office, and fans, and was able to come this far by concentrating only on baseball. I will do my best to work my way up from my minor contract to become the best player in the world, so that I will have no regrets in my one and only baseball career and so that I can live up to the expectations of everyone who has supported me this time"
Due to Sasaki being only 23 years old, he is eligible to sign a minor league deal with international bonus pool money as the signing bonus. This makes the price tag for him much lower, helping whichever team lands him.
Almost every team will be trying for his services but the Dodgers have long been viewed as the favorites to land the pitching sensation.
Sasaki's manager also released a statement about the pitcher.
"Ever since he joined the team, we have heard from him that he dreamed of playing in America. After making a comprehensive judgment over the past five years, we have decided to respect his wish. We hope he will do his best as a representative of Japan. We are rooting for him.”
It remains to be seen if Saksai will end up with the Dodgers but Los Angeles will certainly be in the mix for him.
