Months of speculation gave way to heightened anticipation over recent days as a decision from Roki Sasaki neared with the start of the 2025 international signing period.
The Chiba Lotte Marines posted Sasaki in December, but he elected to wait for that international signing period to pass. Thus, Wednesday marked the first day Sasaki was eligible to sign with a team before his posting window closed on Jan. 23.
Sasaki met with the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, New York Yankees, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers last month. However, the majority of those teams were later eliminated from consideration.
Sasaki announced on Instagram his decision is to sign with the Dodgers.
Roki Sasaki is signing with the #Dodgers. pic.twitter.com/VkxZSafRps
— Matthew Moreno (@Matthew__Moreno) January 17, 2025
Sasaki chose the Dodgers out of a group of finalists that also included the Toronto Blue Jays and Padres. The right-hander reportedly visited Toronto late last week and followed that by taking a trip to San Diego.
But the Dodgers seemingly snuck in the final visit as they met with Sasaki for a second time on Tuesday. That reportedly included multiple star players attending, with Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto presumed to have been part of the Dodgers’ contingent.
Sasaki signing with the Dodgers had long been anticipated as they regularly were touted as the favorite along with the Padres, who were carried by his connection to Yu Darvish.
Sasaki now makes three Japanese stars who have signed with the Dodgers since last offseason. Ohtani and Yamamoto helped lead the Dodgers to a World Series in 2024, and now Sasaki reunites with his former Team Japan teammates from the World Baseball Classic.
What Roki Sasaki signing means for Dodgers
Signing Sasaki gives the Dodgers another ace-caliber pitcher to help lead their rotation. While there may be some adjustments and an MLB learning curve, the 23-year-old is touted as having the potential to become the best pitcher in baseball.
It’s a goal Joel Wolfe, Sasaki’s agent, laid out, and it’s a sentiment Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman believes can become a reality.
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
