Roki Sasaki’s Decision to Join the Dodgers
Roki Sasaki, the new star signing for the Los Angeles Dodgers, addressed the major topic everyone was thinking about during his official introduction on Wednesday.
Sasaki’s Background and Move to MLB
Sasaki, a 23-year-old right-handed pitcher from Japan, entered MLB as an international free agent. This means his first contract with the Dodgers will last for six years, and he will earn a rookie salary in 2025. Since he was an international free agent, all MLB teams had the chance to sign him, but Sasaki chose the defending World Series champions.
Why Sasaki Chose the Dodgers
Sasaki was asked about why he decided to pick the Dodgers over other teams, especially when many fans and analysts were upset about Los Angeles adding another star to its roster. Many teams had been quiet during free agency, while the Dodgers kept adding top talent.
Sasaki explained, “I think the No. 1 thing that stood out was the stability of the front office,” he said through a translator. “I had the opportunity to speak with a lot of teams, and they had a lot of appealing features. But when I looked at the general consensus, I thought that the Dodgers were at the top.”
The Teams That Reached Out to Sasaki
Around 20 MLB teams contacted Sasaki in December, hoping to convince him to join their team. Sasaki met with representatives from at least eight teams in Los Angeles: the Dodgers, San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, and San Francisco Giants.
After considering all his options, Sasaki narrowed it down to three finalists: the Dodgers, Padres, and Blue Jays. He chose the Dodgers, following in the footsteps of other stars like Blake Snell, Teoscar Hernandez, Michael Conforto, and Hyeseong Kim, who also picked the Dodgers this offseason.
Sasaki’s Thoughts on His Decision
Sasaki expressed his gratitude, saying, “As I transition to the major leagues, I am deeply honored that many teams reached out to me with such enthusiasm, especially considering I haven’t achieved much in Japan. I’m truly grateful to all the team officials who took the time to meet with me through this process.”
He added, “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 have decided to come [to Los Angeles], I want to move forward with the belief that the decision I made is the best one.”
Sasaki Joins a Strong Dodgers Pitching Rotation
Now that Sasaki has joined the Dodgers, he will be part of a strong pitching rotation, which includes fellow Japanese players Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani, along with Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Tony Gonsolin, and Dustin May.
Sasaki explained, “It wasn’t a priority to me if there was or was not a Japanese player on a team as I was looking at all the teams. Being able to play with Ohtani and Yamamoto—both exceptional players—I’m really looking forward to playing with them, and not just them, but the rest of the team that is incredible as well.”
