Roki Sasaki was formally introduced by the Los Angeles Dodgers last week after inking a Minor League contract early into the 2025 international signing period.
Sasaki was one of the most coveted free agents of the offseason and met with several teams before making his decision. The five week-long process entailed taking visits, which included the presence of some Major Leaguer players.
It was reported that Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Tommy Edman were among the players in attendance for the Dodgers’ second meeting with Sasaki.
According to Jack Harris of the L.A. Times, nearly three-fourths of the Dodgers roster helped recruit Sasaki to the team at various points:
For players who couldn’t attend — Yamamoto, who was out of town, among them — the Dodgers solicited videos to show to Sasaki, with each minute-long clip emphasizing the perks of playing for a franchise with almost unlimited resources and a winning culture created by the current ownership that has spanned more than a decade. Between the players in attendance, which included Freddie Freeman and Tommy Edman, and the video presentations, Sasaki heard from about three-fourths of the roster.
Along with Yoshinobu Yamamoto sending a video, Dodgers free agent Clayton Kershaw was among the players who recorded a message about his experience with the franchise.
The collective efforts of the Dodgers helped them land another frontline-caliber starter for their rotation. The 23-year-old joins a talented group that should include Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and eventually Ohtani, among others.
Sasaki went 10-5 with a 2.35 ERA and 1.04 WHIP in 111 innings for the Marines last year. He finished his career in Japan with a 30-15 record and 2.02 ERA across four seasons.
Roki Sasaki explains Dodgers decision
During his introductory press conference with the Dodgers, Sasaki revealed he wanted to sign with a team that could best help him continue growing as a player.
“I’m truly grateful to all the team officials who took the time to meet with me during this process,” Sasaki said through interpreter Will Ireton.
“I spent the past month embracing and reflecting on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to choose a place purely based on where I can grow as a player the most. Every organization helped me in its own way and it was an incredibly difficult decision to choose just one.
“I am fully aware that there are many different opinions out there, but now that I’ve decided to come here, I want to move forward with the belief that the decision I made is the best one, trust in those who have believed in my potential and conviction in the goals that I set for myself.”
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