Dodgers aced Roki Sasaki’s homework assignment to land another offseason prize
Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki poses with Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes, far left, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, second from left, and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, far right, as he is introduced as the newest Dodger during a press conference on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki tries on his jersey with help from Andrew Friedman,left, president of baseball operations for the Dodgers and manager Dave Roberts as he is introduced as the newest Dodger during a press conference at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/ SCNG)
Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki tries on his jersey with help from Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman as he is introduced as the newest Dodger during a press conference on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki tries on his jersey with, from left, Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and interpreter Will Ireton looking on as he is introduced as the newest Dodger during a press conference on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki, wearing jersey No. 11, is introduced as the newest Dodger during a press conference on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium. Infielder Miguel Rojas, still with the team, used to wear No. 11. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki, wearing jersey No. 11, is introduced as the newest Dodger during a press conference on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium. Infielder Miguel Rojas, still with the team, used to wear No. 11. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki speaks as Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, far left, looks on as he is introduced as the newest Dodger during a press conference on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki, center, is introduced as the newest Dodger during a press conference on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki, left, with interpreter Will Ireton looking on is introduced as the newest Dodger during a press conference on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten, center, speaks as Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes, left, along with Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki, interpreter Will Ireton and and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, far right, look on during a press conference introducing Sasaki as the newest Dodger on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki, center, with interpreter Will Ireton, right, waits to be introduced as the newest Dodger during a press conference on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki is introduced as the newest Dodger during a press conference on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki, left, with interpreter Will Ireton and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is introduced as the newest Dodger during a press conference on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki, right, is greeted by Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman as he is introduced as the newest Dodger during a press conference on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki shakes hands with Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman as Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes, left, and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts look on as he is introduced as the newest Dodger during a press conference on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki poses with, from left, Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten, Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, far right, as he is introduced as the newest Dodger during a press conference on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki, left, with interpreter Will Ireton looking on is introduced as the newest Dodger during a press conference on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki poses with Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes, far left, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, second from left, and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, far right, as he is introduced as the newest Dodger during a press conference on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki, left, with interpreter Will Ireton looking on is introduced as the newest Dodger during a press conference on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki, wearing jersey No. 11, is introduced as the newest Dodger during a press conference on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium. Infielder Miguel Rojas, still with the team, used to wear No. 11. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki is introduced as the newest Dodger during a press conference on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts looks on as Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki is introduced as the newest Dodger during a press conference on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki, wearing jersey No. 11, is introduced as the newest Dodger during a press conference on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium. Infielder Miguel Rojas, still with the team, used to wear No. 11. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes, left, poses with Dodgers manager Dave Roberts as Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki is introduced as the newest Dodger during a press conference on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki, wearing jersey No. 11, is introduced as the newest Dodger during a press conference on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium. Infielder Miguel Rojas, still with the team, used to wear No. 11. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes, left, speaks with Dodgers manager Dave Roberts as Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki is introduced as the newest Dodger during a press conference on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki, left, with interpreter Will Ireton leaves after he was introduced as the newest Dodger during a press conference on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Interpreter Will Ireton looks on as Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki is introduced as the newest Dodger during a press conference on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki poses with Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes, far left, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, second from left, and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, far right, as he is introduced as the newest Dodger during a press conference on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
LOS ANGELES — Three-time MVP, two-way player, one-of-a-kind revenue producer – and news breaker.
Thirteen months after he broke the news of his own signing with the Dodgers on Instagram, it was Shohei Ohtani who broke the news to the Dodgers that Roki Sasaki would be joining him in Los Angeles.
“We got him,” Ohtani texted to Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman on Friday.
“(Ohtani) beat the agent to the punch,” Friedman said of getting the news of the Dodgers’ latest star acquisition.
The Dodgers, who will try to become the first repeat World Series champion since the New York Yankees won three in a row from 1998 to 2000, have seemingly gotten everything they wanted this offseason.
“Yeah, it’s been pretty close,” General Manager Brandon Gomes said after pondering the idea for a moment then breaking into a wide smile.
“We’ve added a lot of impact talent.”
Sasaki might very well be the most talented of the group with the potential to be an annual Cy Young contender. Sasaki’s 100-mph fastball and devastating splitter have prompted comparisons to another two-time Cy Young Award winner, Jacob deGrom, as well as the National League’s reigning Rookie of the Year, Paul Skenes.
“To have done what he was able to do in Japan at this age and there’s room to get better – it’s really exciting and impressive,” Gomes said.
Sasaki didn’t seem very impressed by what he’s accomplished so far. At his introductory press conference on Wednesday, he said he was “deeply honored so many teams reached out to me, especially considering I haven’t achieved much in Japan.”
What he hopes to achieve with the Dodgers now is – everything. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts mentioned Sasaki’s goal to be the first Japanese pitcher to win a Cy Young Award. Sasaki’s agent, Joel Wolfe (who also represents Padres pitcher Yu Darvish and the Dodgers’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto), has said Sasaki told him at the start of the process this winter that his goal is to be the best pitcher in baseball.
Toward that end, Sasaki gave every team that he met with a “homework assignment.” His fastball velocity had dropped during the 2024 season in Japan. He wanted the teams courting him to explain why and what they would do about it.
“I thought it was a terrific idea,” Wolfe said.
“The specifics of the homework assignment gave the teams No. 1 a very clear idea of what he wanted to hear because prior to that teams were trying to figure out ‘What should we talk about? What does he want to hear?’ … One thing we all know is Roki is not a finished product by any stretch. He’s not in the position that Yamamoto was when he came over. He has a lot of growth and learning to do, and he was asking what can you do to help me and what do you think has gone wrong while I was in Japan and how would you go about working with me and developing me? That was a big part of his decision-making process with all the teams.”
Sasaki said he wanted to use the assignment to “understand the differences among the many teams” in the limited time he had to make his choice (Sasaki was made available to MLB teams for a 45-day window by the Chiba Lotte Marines of Japan’s Pacific League under the posting agreement between Nippon Professional Baseball and MLB).
“I just felt like this homework assignment would be a really good opportunity for me to see how the teams think,” Sasaki said through Will Ireton, acting as interpreter.
The Dodgers welcomed the assignment as a chance to show off the sophistication of their multi-pronged approach to developing pitchers. And they felt they aced the test.
“For us, we felt like the homework assignment was right in our wheelhouse,” Friedman said. “Our ability to showcase our performance-science group, our training staff, our performance staff, our pitching coaches, how connected those groups are, we felt like really highlighted a strength of ours. Going through this process, we felt like the most important thing was gonna be to put our best foot forward. And we felt like we did that.”
Sasaki’s decision to sign with the Dodgers (on a minor-league contract with a $6.5 million signing bonus) gave them high marks – but the final grade is still to come, Gomes said.
“Last year was an A-plus because we won the World Series,” he said when asked to grade the Dodgers’ offseason this winter. “So we can grade it after.”
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