Roki Sasaki is coming to MLB for the 2025 season after the Chiba Lotte Marines announced their intent to post the phenom pitcher for clubs to sign.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have been heavily connected to Sasaki even before news of his eventual posting was confirmed, and they have been considered the heavy favorites to sign him. They have also been waiting for this opportunity for years, and they will do everything in their power to get Sasaki in Dodger Blue.
After signing two Japanese players last winter and freshly off winning the World Series, it is no wonder why they are considered to be the frontrunners in the race for Sasaki.
Even with everything lining up in their favor, Sasaki choosing the Dodgers is not a forgone conclusion at this point as he is willing to listen to pitches from all 30 MLB organizations, according to Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs:
“As I was texting around the industry over the weekend, the sense is Sasaki’s people have said to teams, ‘Hey, this is not a foregone thing. Make your pitch.’ Even you, the Minnesota Twins who have $20,000 left in your bonus pool. Actually, it’s $17,500 for the Twins. Because all this stuff is objective.”
Money does not seem to be a primary motivating factor for Sasaki as it seems he is most interested in finding the best possible fit where he can begin and grow his career. The Dodgers have to be without a doubt one of the most attractive destinations possible, but are not without their faults.
The biggest one has to be the recent issues of keeping their pitchers healthy, especially the amount of significant arm injuries. That could be something that the organization will have to potentially sell Sasaki on.
There is also some belief Sasaki may prefer to pitch for a smaller market club, and the increase in Japanese media and attention on the Dodgers could put unwanted pressure on him.
Either way, it seems as if the Dodgers will have far more competition than the usual big market suspects.
Roki Sasaki could be Dodgers’ answer to ‘one high-end starter’ target
The Dodgers are entering this offseason with full knowledge of their need for starting pitching and a clear direction of the bare minimum of what they want to accomplish.
Corbin Burnes, Max Fried, and Blake Snell are the top veteran pitching options available, but acquiring Sasaki could very well yield the same desired outcome for the Dodgers.
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