Several Dodgers Stars Expected to Be In Attendance for Roki Sasaki Meeting on Tuesday
The Los Angeles Dodgers are having their second meeting with Japanese superstar Roki Sasaki on Tuesday, according to a report from The Athletic.
Read more: Dodgers to Have Second Meeting With Roki Sasaki Tuesday in Massive Development
The meeting is expected to feature “several” Dodgers stars in what will be a potentially monumental day in Dodgers history.
While no specific names were mentioned in the report, it would make sense for the Dodgers to have Japanese superstars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the meeting, as well as the team’s other stars such as Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman.
The Dodgers’ first meeting with Sasaki was on his terms. He didn’t want teams to bring other players, and he didn’t want them to be longer than two hours. Sasaki wanted it to be an even playing field.
This time around, though, the Dodgers will be able to convince Sasaki to sign with them on their terms.
The Dodgers will be able to have his Team Japan teammates in Ohtani and Yamamoto talk to him about the love they feel from the Japanese fanbase in L.A.
The Dodgers will be able to have someone like Freddie Freeman or Teoscar Hernández explain to Sasaki why they wanted to join Los Angeles over other organizations.
The Dodgers will be able to have someone like Mookie Betts tell him how special it is to play for an organization like the Dodgers in front of a fanbase that cares so much.
And they can have Dave Roberts, Brandon Gomes, Andrew Friedman, Mark Walter, or just about anyone else in the organization share their perspectives on what makes the Dodgers better than the other 29 teams.
The Dodgers have prepared for this moment for years, and were hoping to get a second meeting to put the final nail in the coffin in the Sasaki sweepstakes.
Tuesday, they’ll have that opportunity, in what could be Sasaki’s final meeting before making his decision.
Sasaki already had second meetings with the Padres in San Diego and Blue Jays in Toronto. It would make sense for him to finish his second round of meetings in Los Angeles — his home base for this entire process — before making a decision.
Sasaki’s deadline to sign is Jan. 23. He could sign as soon as Wednesday, when the 2025 international signing period opens.
The Dodgers get the opportunity to essentially be the closers in the Sasaki sweepstakes. They’ll hope to put the finishing touches on what was already a strong first presentation on Tuesday.
Photo Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
