As far back as January, 2024, Japan’s pitching phenomenon, 23-year-old Roki Sasaki, stated that he had “the desire to play in the U.S. Major Leagues in the future,” and that his Japanese Pacific League club the Chiba Lotte Marines understood his position. Since then, major league teams have scrambled to position themselves to sign Sasaki, and fans waited excitedly to see if the 102 mph fastball-throwing sensation would consider their team.
On Friday, Sasaki ended the suspense. He took to his Instagram account to announce that he has signed a minor league contract with the reigning World Series champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“It was a very difficult decision,” Sasaki wrote, “but I will do my best to make it the right decision when I look back after my baseball career.”
Sasaki’s Dodger Decision Surprises No One
Sasaki’s decision, though months in the making, was not a surprise. The Dodgers had long been considered the favorites to land Sasaki, partly due to the relative proximity of Los Angeles to Japan — but also because the Dodgers currently have two Japanese superstars on their roster, 2024 National League MVP Shohei Ohtani and $325 million pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Sasaki has said he considers both his friends.
Ohtani hails from Iwate Prefecture in the northeast of Japan, the same region that Sasaki calls home.
As early as Friday morning, the Toronto Blue Jays made a trade that brought them a reported extra $2 million in international bonus pool money. They also took on outfielder Myles Straw from the Cleveland Guardians as part of the deal, which was seen as indication that the Blue Jays considered themselves strong contenders to sign Sasaki.
At the same time, the San Diego Padres appeared to be eliminated from the race when they spent about $3.5 million of their own bonus pool money on two top prospects from the Dominican Republic, shortstop Jhoan De La Cruz and left-handed pitcher Carlos Alvarez.
Dodgers Now Have ‘Monster Japanese Trio’ of Ace Hurlers
Though Sasaki’s contract with the Dodgers is technically a minor league deal, it appears highly unlikely that he will spend any time in the Los Angeles minor league system. Under the complex rules in the MLB collective bargaining agreement, international free agents under the age of 25 are permitted only to sign minor league contracts.
Assuming Sasaki, as expected, starts the 2025 season in the Dodgers starting rotation, he becomes one third of what has been called a “monster Japanese trio” of Dodger pitchers. He will join Yamamoto in the rotation, and a year removed from Tommy John surgery Ohtani is expected to join the Los Angeles rotation as well, in addition to his role as the Dodgers’ designated hitter.
But while Ohtani will be in the second year of a 10-year, $700 million contract, and Yamamoto will also be in Year Two of his 12-year, $325 million deal, Sasaki will be subject to the same salary restrictions as any rookie. That is because he elected to move to MLB after just four seasons pitching in Japan’s professional baseball leagues while not yet having turned 25. His signing bonus may max out at the total amount of cash in the Dodgers’ international bonus pool, which has been reported to be about $5.1 million.
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