Dodgers Rumors: Major Roki Sasaki Update as Free Agency Begins
The Dodgers may add a third Japanese-born player to their roster in the offseason. In addition to Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Los Angeles may become the new home of right-handed pitcher Roki Sasaki.
Sasaki, 23, made his professional debut in 2021 in the Nippon Professional Baseball. He has pitched for the Chiba Lotte Marines for four seasons. Sasaki logged a 2.35 ERA with 129 strikeouts and 32 walks across 18 games this season. But, Sasaki reportedly declined an offer from his current team, suggesting a potential MLB career is in his future.
The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal links the Dodgers as likely contenders for Sasaki.
“The suspicion among many in the industry, almost everyone in the industry, that if this guy is posted, Roki Sasaki becomes available, the Los Angeles Dodgers will be heavy, heavy favorites to sign him,” Rosenthal said Monday on Foul Territory. “And can you imagine what that team would mean in Japan, then. It already has Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto to get Sasaki as well, well it would be even more so Japan’s team.”
Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700 million contract last offseason that will keep him on the Dodgers until 2033. Meanwhile, Yamamoto signed a 12-year, $325 million contract that will span until 2035.
Despite missing three months of the regular season with a strained rotator cuff, Yamamoto proved his value on the mound in the postseason. The rookie played a significant role in the Dodgers’ eighth World Series victory in franchise history. Ohtani more than proved his worth this season, breaking record after record and accomplishing never-been-done-before feats. Ohtani will add to his starpower next season when he takes the mound for the first time as a Dodger.
Having two of the 11 Japanese-born MLB players on the roster already makes the Dodgers a beloved team in Japan. Therefore, it would not be surprising to see the next Japanese star join the reigning World Series champions.
Photo Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
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