The Los Angeles Dodgers landed one of the offseason’s most coveted free agents when they signed Roki Sasaki to a Minor League contract earlier this month.
The Japanese phenom is making the jump to MLB after spending the last four seasons with the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball.
Sasaki took visits with several teams before narrowing down the group to three finalists. He later met with the Dodgers for a second time, which featured appearances by Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Tommy Edman, among others.
According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Ohtani’s dog, Decoy (Dekopin in Japanese), was also present for the Dodgers’ meeting with Sasaki:
Ohtani, knowing Sasaki loves dogs, brought his Dutch kooikerhondje, Decoy, to the presentation.
At Sasaki’s introductory press conference, he wore custom made socks with his dog, a black poodle, on them. Sasaki did not share his dog’s name, but did reveal they have the same birthday as each other.
Decoy became popular among baseball fans when he was seen with Ohtani for the announcement of the 2023 American League MVP Award on MLB Network.
Ohtani honored Decoy by including him on his customized cleats for MLB Players Weekend last season. The Dodgers’ second and final Ohtani bobblehead giveaway also included the Dutch Kooikerhondje.
Ohtani and Decoy paired for the ceremonial first pitch before the Dodgers’ matchup against the Baltimore Orioles. Decoy waited for a command from Ohtani and then picked up the baseball to deliver it down the middle.
“It’s a really special night. I hope to buy some special snack for him,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton after the game.
Majority of Dodgers roster helped recruit Roki Sasaki
Along with the aforementioned players attending Sasaki’s meeting, it was reported that nearly three-fourths of the Dodgers roster helped recruit the right-hander to the team at various points this offseason.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Dodgers free agent Clayton Kershaw were among the players who recorded a message about their experience with the franchise.
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