The Los Angeles Dodgers officially introduced Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki on Wednesday after he signed a minor league contract with a $6.5 million signing bonus. At 23, Sasaki joins a Dodgers squad already stacked with Japanese stars like Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, making their title defense stronger than ever.
Sasaki decided to join the Dodgers after a competitive chase by over 20 MLB teams. It ultimately came down to three finalists: the San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays, and obviously the Dodgers, the team that he gladly chose. “I am deeply honored that many teams reached out to me with such enthusiasm, especially considering I haven't achieved much in Japan,” Sasaki said during the press conference held outside Dodger Stadium. “Every organization helped me in its own way, and it was an incredibly difficult decision to choose just one. … Now that I have decided to come [to Los Angeles], I want to move forward with the belief that the decision I made is the best one.”
Sasaki, whose fastball exceeds 100 mph and a phenomenal splitter, is one of the most demanded pitchers who is entering the MLB. He made a name for himself in Japan, with a 29-15 career record and a 2.10 ERA over four seasons with the Chiba Lotte Marines. In 2022, he threw a perfect game against Orix and posted a 1.78 ERA in 2023 in 15 starts, even though he had an oblique injury.
“It wasn't a priority to me if there was or was not a Japanese player on a team as I was looking at all the teams,” Sasaki said regarding the impact of his new teammates on his decision. “Being able to play with Ohtani and Yamamoto, both exceptional players, I'm really looking forward to playing with them, and not just them, but the rest of the team that is incredible as well.”
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Sasaki's choice was largely influenced by the Dodgers' deep roster, which includes pitchers like Ohtani, Yamamoto, Blake Snell, and Dustin May. However, the main factor that pushed Sasaki toward LA was the stability of the front office. “I think the No. 1 thing that stood out was the stability of the front office,” Sasaki said. “When I looked at the general consensus, I thought that the Dodgers were at the top.”
Sasaki's contract provides the Dodgers with six years of control, starting with a rookie salary in 2025. “Our plan is to start him,” said Andrew Friedman, Dodgers president of baseball operations. “The plan is to hit the ground running in spring training and have him be a big part of helping us win games.”
Starting his MLB journey, Sasaki is anticipated to add immediate depth to the Dodgers' pitching staff, helping ensure that the team has what it needs to remain on the front lines of anything resembling a World Series defense.
