Despite the Los Angeles Dodgers winning the 2024 World Series less than a week ago, the page has already seemingly been turned as we look toward next season.
Chief among the items on the proverbial agenda is the status update surrounding prized Japanese phenom pitcher Roki Sasaki. The 23-year-old flamethrower recently declined an extension with current Japanese club Chiba Lotte Marines. The thought is that Sasaki is aiming to get posted by his club in order to draw interest from those in Major League Baseball.
We’ve seen Sasaki featured extensively in YouTube videos and TikTok clips. Possessing a fastball that touches 102 miles per, along with an exotic array of off-speed pitches, Sasaki could very well be the best young pitcher on the planet at this point not named Paul Skenes. Some even believe Sasaki is a superior talent to the Pittsburgh Pirates ace.
When speaking on his show Fair Territory with Ken Rosenthal on Monday morning, the reputable reporter offered this nugget surrounding Sasaki’s future:
“The suspicion is, among many in the industry — almost everyone in the industry, is that if this guy is posted, Roki Sasaki becomes available, the Los Angeles Dodgers will be the heavy, heavy favorites to sign him. And can you imagine what that team would mean in Japan then? It already has Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto. To get Sasaki as well, [the Dodgers] would be even more so Japan’s team.”
Landing Sasaki would only increase the Japanese feel within a franchise clearly tethered to the country. You see Japanese ads all over Dodger Stadium. Not to mention, an influx of Japanese tourists routinely take in Dodgers games via the constant shuttling of direct flights from Tokyo to Los Angeles.
The Dodgers are the most complete team in baseball. If there’s one area in need of some reinforcements, it’s the starting rotation. LA would be doing cartwheels to add Sasaki to a group already featuring Ohtani, Yamamoto, Glasnow, and a host of other arms. With the resources available, coupled with Japan’s normal pitching schedule, expect LA to use a six-man rotation as a means to get all of its Japanese players an extra day of rest.
Sasaki has been known to adore Padres pitcher Yu Darvish. Being situated on the West Coast, the Padres surely will be driven to add him to their collection of talented players. Other big-time clubs across the sport surely will check in.
Having said that, the Dodgers have been on Sasaki for a long time. President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman has seen Sasaki several times in person — including right before the playoffs when he flew to Japan and watched him pitch.
Based on the fact LA won the World Series with two iconic Japanese players in Ohtani and Yamamoto, coupled with the location of the city to Japan, and the massive Japanese community in Los Angeles, one can see why the Dodgers would be tough to beat in such a sweepstakes whenever Sasaki becomes available.
