Three times the $6.5 million Ohtani! LAD was serious about Sasaki, selling promising players to build a Saining Bonus, building a strongest six-man rotation

Jan 18, 2025

The LA Dodgers were finally decided as the final destination for Rocky Sasaki. Photo Source =MLB.com

A Dodgers hat taken against the backdrop of Dodger Stadium posted by Rocky Sasaki on his SNS. Photo Source = Sasaki Roki Instagram

His choice was the LA Dodgers after all. Roki Sasaki, who is considered the best fireballer in the history of the Japanese professional baseball (NPB), will wear the Dodgers uniform.

Sasaki signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers on his Instagram on the 18th (Korea time). It was a very difficult decision, but I will try to think that it was the right decision when I look back after my baseball life"Thank you to everyone who supported me at the press conference, and I will roll up the sleeves of the Dodgers uniform and work hard." he said.

Sasaki posted a Dodgers cap taken against the backdrop of Dodger Stadium with the message.

Sasaki's posting negotiations are due on the 24th, and the decision was made six days before this. Sasaki will receive $6.5 million (about 9.5 billion won). Shohei Ohtani, who was also an international amateur FA under the age of 25, is about three times the $2.315 million he received when he joined the Los Angeles Angels in 2018.

The Dodgers' international syncing bonus pool set this year is $5.146 million. In other words, the Dodgers increased the bonus pool by at least $1.353,800. The Dodgers reportedly canceled the contracts of shortstop Darrell Morell from the Dominican Republic and outfielder Orlando Patino from Venezuela, who had already agreed to join, and expanded the bonus pool by sending minor league outfielder Dylan Campbell to the Philadelphia Phillies and Analdo Lantigua to the Cincinnati Reds, respectively.

Sasaki, who signed a minor league contract, will receive the lowest major league salary of $750,000 if included in the opening roster this season.

Sasaki Rocky uses a fastball of up to 102 meters as his main weapon. AP Yonhap News

In the new year, the Sasaki scramble was a three-way race. The Dodgers, San Diego Padres, and Toronto Blue Jays were selected as the final candidates. Sasaki visited the relevant locations in person and continued the second round of negotiations. Sasaki's choice of Dodgers seems to have been attributed to factors such as the pitcher development system, recent team performance such as winning last year's World Series, and familiar Japanese players such as Ohtani and Yamamoto Yoshinobu.

Agent Joel Wolff said earlier on Sasaki's club selection criteria, `He is reviewing the size of the market, location, team performance, and the presence of Japanese players"He looks at the presentation materials in his own way, which is different from the average Japanese player. The most important thing for him is whether he has the environment to become the greatest pitcher in history."

With Sasaki in his arms, the Dodgers have built the strongest rotation in the Major League. Sasaki pitched in 18 games last year for the NPB Chiba Lotte Marines with a 10-5 record with a 2.35 ERA and 129 strikeouts. In 64 NPB games, he recorded 29 wins and 15 losses with a 2.10 ERA and 505 strikeouts. In April 2022, he struck out 19 against the Orix Buffaloes, writing the NPB's youngest perfect game.

With a strong four-seam fastball of up to 102 miles and a splitter that is considered the best in the major leagues, he is considered to be inferior to the first or second starters right now.

Roki Sasaki and Shohei Ohtani are now the center of the rotation at the Los Angeles Dodgers. AP Yonhap News

Earlier, the Dodgers acquired left-hander Blake Snell from the FA market for five years and $182 million. In other words, the Dodgers will have only five ace-class starters, including Snell, Sasaki, Yamamoto, Ohtani and Tyler Glasnow. The Dodgers plan to operate a six-starter system this season, and there are also many candidates for the sixth starter, including Dustin May, Tony Gonsolin and Landon Nyack. For now, the rotation at the beginning of the season is likely to include Sasaki, Snell, Yamamoto, Glasnow, Gonsolin and May. The six-man rotation is also expected to be an attractive point for Sasaki, who is familiar with the one-week rotation during his NPB days.

The Dodgers could not operate the pennant race last year because all starting pitchers, including Yamamoto and Glasnow, were struggling with injuries. In response, he decided to recruit Sasaki as his top priority this off-season and worked hard on it.

Sasaki seems to have gained confidence when Yamamoto and Shota Imanaga (Chicago Cubs), who participated together as the Japanese national team of the WBC in 2023, made their major league debut a year later and had a successful season.

Wolf said "I think Sasaki had a great WBC experience with Darvish and Ohtani. In particular, seeing Imanaga's overwhelming pitching in the first half after his Major League debut last year, he must have realized that he has to come to the U.S. to deal with the world's best players every day and use the resources of the Major League club to develop him into the best pitcher of all time."

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.