Last winter, the Los Angeles Dodgers signed, arguably, the two best Japanese players on the planet. Now a new report claims they are a favorite to add another elite player from the land of the rising sun this offseason.
Hate it or love it, the Dodgers decision to hand out contracts for more than a billion dollars to Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto last year was the right move. It angered front offices around the league and fans across the country. But the results were undeniable.
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Ohtani is a lock to be named the National League MVP in 2024. Yamamoto battled through injuries to deliver a strong rookie season. And both played major roles in the franchise winning its latest MLB championship in October. Furthermore, both could be even better next season — for different reasons — next year and will be at the heart of title-contending teams they should have for several more seasons.
However, don’t expect the Dodgers to be quiet this offseason despite having one of the biggest payrolls in baseball. And it looks like the franchise that banked huge money from Japanese baseball fans in 2024 could mine that revenue source even more in 2025.
- Roki Sasaki stats (Career): 4 Seasons, 301-5 Record, 2.02 ERA, 0.883 WHIP, 524 SO, 414.2 IP
Los Angeles Dodgers are massive favorites to sign Roki Sasaki this winter
Chiba Lotte ace Roki Sasaki is viewed by most as the next great pitcher from Japan. There have been rumblings for the last year that the 23-year-old would look to be posted by his team this winter and hit the open market. On Tuesday, ESPN MLB analyst Kiley McDaniel explained the unique reason why the Los Angeles Dodgers are huge favorites to sign him.
“Given the rules in place for players coming over from Japan before they turn 25 years old, it doesn’t make any financial sense for him to get his club to post him this year because, like Shohei Ohtani, he would be limited to the international bonus pools that are all under $8 million; if he comes after Dec. 15, the pools reset and he could get as much as $7 million or so, but if he comes before he’ll be limited to roughly $2.5 million at most. Coincidentally, the team with that roughly $2.5 million remaining in its pool, the most in baseball, is the Dodgers: They are heavily favored to land Sasaki just as they landed Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto last offseason.”
Kiley McDaniel
- Roki Sasaki contract projection: 4 years, $10 million
McDaniel did not that there are also some “complications” with a potential contract. Firstly, there are rumors Sasaki would prefer to play in a small market. Secondly, decreased velocity has some worried he may have a notable injury.
Nevertheless, the youngster has a history with both Ohtani and Yamamoto after playing with them on Japan’s 2023 WBC team. Plus, being on the roster with two countrymen could be a huge benefit for the youngster.