The Los Angeles Dodgers have formally met with Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki, changing into the sixth crew publicly identified to have had a proper assembly with the 23-year-old pitcher.
President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman has publicly stated signing Sasaki is a large precedence for the Dodgers this winter.
“He’s somebody that, clearly, is a serious precedence for us,” Friedman advised Dodgers Nation on the Winter Conferences. “We’re going to do no matter we will and know that there are lots of different groups which can be going to do the very same factor.”
Sasaki has additionally met with the New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, New York Mets, and Texas Rangers. Nonetheless, most groups have reportedly entered the assembly with the understanding that the Dodgers stay the favorites.
In contrast to the massive cash contracts the Dodgers gave to beginning pitcher Blake Snell and outfielder Teoscar Hernández, Sasaki comes at a less expensive value. Sasaki will be a part of stateside baseball as a global novice free agent, that means groups can solely supply him cash from their worldwide bonus pool.
Sasaki is predicted to signal within the subsequent worldwide signing interval which opens on Jan. 15, the place the Dodgers might be amongst groups which have the least amount of cash of their bonus pool with roughly $5 million. Nonetheless, cash doesn’t appear to be the precedence for Sasaki since he’s becoming a member of MLB earlier than he’s age eligible to signal a large contract.
“There are not any absolutes in baseball. And thru Roki’s eyes, there are not any absolutes in life. … he doesn’t take something with no consideration,” Joel Wolfe, Sasaki’s agent, stated on the Winter Conferences.
“The opposite factor is, it’s at all times been his dream to come back to the foremost leagues since he was in highschool. He’s grown up idolizing gamers like Yu Darvish and Tanaka and Matsuzaka. That is one thing he’s at all times needed to do,” Wolfe added.
There may be hypothesis the Padres may additionally snag Sasaki due to a the star’s connection to veteran pitcher Yu Darvish. However, the World Collection champion Dodgers stay the favorites to signal Sasaki.
Sasaki is poised to be the most effective pitchers to come back from Japan. He turned the youngest pitcher to throw an ideal recreation in Nippon Skilled Baseball in 2022. He additionally tied Shohei Ohtani for the quickest pitch recorded in NPB historical past at 102.5 mph.
In 4 NPB seasons, Sasaki posted a 29-15 document with a 2.10 ERA and 11.5 strikeouts per 9 innings. Final season, he handled some damage points however went 10-5 with a 2.35 ERA.
Picture Credit score: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports activities
Have you ever subscribed to our YouTube Channel but? Subscribe and hit that notification bell to remain updated on all the newest Dodgers information, rumors, interviews, reside streams, and extra!
