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Dodger Blue > Dodgers News > Andrew Friedman: Dodgers Believe Roki Sasaki Can Be ‘Best Pitcher In The World’
Dodgers News

Andrew Friedman: Dodgers Believe Roki Sasaki Can Be ‘Best Pitcher In The World’

Sebastian Abdón Ibarra
December 13, 2024
3 Min Read
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The Los Angeles Dodgers have already added Blake Snell to their rotation this offseason, but they are incredibly motivated to further bolster the group by pursuing Roki Sasaki, who was officially posted this week.

The Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) officially posting Sasaki means he is now free to begin meeting and negotiating with MLB teams. The Dodgers and San Diego Padres are currently seen as the two favorites to sign Sasaki.

This is the moment the Dodgers have been waiting for as they have been preparing themselves for this eventuality for some time now. The 23-year-old is making his way to MLB after four seasons in the NPB in which he had a 2.10 ERA and 505 strikeouts in 394.2 innings. Sasaki was also a two-time All-Star.

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman believes that Sasaki has an extremely high ceiling due to the drive and talent he possesses, according to Fabian Ardaya of the Athletic:

“He’s incredibly talented,” Friedman said. “Really physical. Incredible carrying fastball. His split’s a well-above-average major-league pitch. He’s worked hard on a slider, and it’s a really good pitch. He has talked about his desire to be the best pitcher in the world, and we believe that he is capable of being the best pitcher in the world.”

This belief in Sasaki is why the Dodgers are making him a ‘major priority’ in free agency.

If the Dodgers are able to come to an agreement with Sasaki, he would be the second pitcher they have signed directly from the NPB in as many years. Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s 12-year, $325 million contract with the Dodgers is the richest for a pitcher in MLB history.

But Sasaki’s contract with whichever team he ends up choosing will not be remotely close to that as he is classified as an amateur international free agent, and thus is subject to the rules that limit how much he can earn on this first deal.

Roki Sasaki signing deadline

Sasaki has until Jan. 23, 2025 to make his decision on which MLB team to sign with, or else he will be returned to the Marines.

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!

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TAGGED:Andrew FriedmanLos Angeles DodgersRoki Sasaki
BySebastian Abdón Ibarra
Sebastian Ibarra covers the Las Vegas Raiders as a staff writer for Raiders Newswire. He previously worked as a Marketing/Communications intern for the Ontario Jr Reign, and a staff writer and two time Editor for the Campus Times at the University of La Verne. Sebastian graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2022 from ULV with a major in Communications. His love of sports stems from his baseball career starting at tee-ball and ending his senior year at Servite High School. He enjoys video games and DC comics in his spare time. Follow him on Twitter: @sebas_abdon.
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