Cody Snavely
The Los Angeles Dodgers have offically announced the signing of 23-year-old Japanese phenom Rōki Sasaki with an introductory press conference at Dodger Stadium today.
During the conference, the media and fans watching through the live stream posted on the Los Angeles Dodgers and Major League Baseball social media pages answered many questions about the Dodgers’ new star and their pursuit, which has spanned over six years.
Sasaki expressed his sympathy for the city of Los Angeles, which has been decimated by the current wildfires. He also stated his personal goal of becoming the first Japanese player to win the Cy Young Award.
Why Did Sasaki Choose the Dodgers?
Throughout the entire process and before Sasaki was posted by Chiba Lotte Marines in December, the Los Angeles Dodgers were heavily favored to sign the young Japanese star.
Being the favorite in the sweepstakes was due to various factors, such as the Dodgers’ overall success over the last fifteen years, their reputation in the baseball world, and their player development being among the best in the sport. However, perhaps the most important thing was the stability of the organization.
When asked by Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic about what resonated with him most about the Dodgers’ pitch for his services, Sasaki responded through Will Ireton: “The stability of the front office.”
Many will run with that quote and look at the San Diego Padres, one of the third finalists for Sasaki’s services due to their instability with their ownership, with members of the families suing each other for complete control of the team.
The Dodgers, on the other hand, have been in extraordinary hands under the Guggenheim Baseball Management Group, controlling owner Mark Walter, Chief Executive Officer Stan Kasten, and President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman.
Since disgraced owner Frank McCourt sold the team in 2012 for $2.15 billion, it has grown exponentially, increasing its value by over 300%. It now stands at $4.8 billion, second in baseball behind the Yankees ($7.1 billion).
Add in the fact that the team is coming off its eighth World Series title and has continued to add all winter, looking to become the first repeat champion since the 2000 New York Yankees, and then the writing was on the wall for Sasaki and his team.
What is the Plan for Sasaki in the Rotation?
With Sasaki now offically a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers, their plans for the young right-hander are finally taking shape.
Andrew Friedman stated that their plans with Sasaki are to pitch from the outset of the season rather than delay him in an effort to curb his workload.
Sasaki’s time in the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) while elite was not consistent with health and his workload, with his career high in innings taking place during the 2022 season at 129.1 innings.
Thanks to their additions to the starting rotation (Blake Snell) and a few returning players (Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow, Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May), the Dodgers can finally deploy their six-man rotation.
That said, the Dodgers will still be without Ohtani in the rotation until at least May, according to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts last month in an interview in Japan, and who knows how Glasnow’s elbow will hold up once the team breaks for spring training.
As it stands now, the Dodgers’ potential Opening Day rotation, barring any significant injuries, will include:
- Blake Snell
- Yoshinobu Yamamoto
- Tyler Glasnow
- Tony Gonsolin
- Dustin May
- Rōki Sasaki
However, with the team kicking off the 2025 Major League Baseball season in Tokyo, Japan, against the Chicago Cubs, I bet money that Yamamoto and Sasaki start both those games.
Still, the Dodgers and Andrew Friedman are highly confident that Sasaki will be Major League ready after spring training, likely to make the Opening Day roster and be added to the team’s official 40-man roster.
Trading Numbers with Rojas
An interesting tidbit about Saski’s arrival at the Los Angeles Dodgers is that he traded numbers with veteran utility infielder Miguel Rojas, who confirmed earlier this week that he would indeed be swapping numbers and giving Sasaki number eleven.
When asked about the number, Sasaki stated that he was “really grateful” that Rojas gave him No.11 and would have to think of what gift to give his new teammate for the gesture.
While the reason behind No. 11 wasn’t confirmed, the most logical guess is that it is a hommage to Sasaki’s idol,ol Yu Darvi, who has worn No.11 his entire career (Darvish wore No.21 with the Dodgers during the 2017 season). It is a way for Sasaki to show respect to his idol and Samurai Japan teammate during the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
Rojas will wear No.72, which he wore during his first stint in Los Angeles during the 2014 season, as he enters the final year of his contract with the Dodgers.
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