Dodgers officially welcome Roki Sasaki, plan to ‘hit the ground running’ with pitcher
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Dodger Stadium remains under construction, in the midst of significant offseason renovations for the defending World Series champions.
But hundreds of reporters flocked to Chavez Ravine on Wednesday, nonetheless, to witness the team introduce one of the final key pieces of its 2025 roster.
Less than a week after announcing he would sign with the Dodgers in one of this offseason’s major free agency coups, 23-year-old Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki was introduced by the team at a celebratory news conference — the latest star-player reception for a team that has been stockpiling them over the last several winters.
“Putting on this Dodgers uniform today, I’m reminded that my journey is just about to begin,” the pitcher said through interpreter Will Ireton after slipping into a white No. 11 jersey. “And it makes me feel more focused than ever.”
Throughout Roki Sasaki’s highly anticipated posting process and free agency, the Dodgers knew the main pillars they wanted their courtship to be built upon.
Introductory news conferences are nothing new for the Dodgers.
They held two last offseason to consummate their acquisitions of fellow Japanese stars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Twice already this offseason, club brass had taken a stage in the right-field Stadium Club to welcome two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell and welcome back fan favorite Teoscar Hernández.
Another ceremony could be on the horizon soon with the team having agreed to a deal with top free-agent reliever Tanner Scott last weekend.
Sasaki’s arrival, however, was a unique affair, with the hard-throwing right-hander being hailed as a key — and economical — part of the team’s future after inking a minor league contract with a $6.5-million signing bonus that was finalized Wednesday.
Sasaki was restricted to such a modest deal, as he signed as an international amateur because he came over from Japan before turning 25. But it belied the tantalizing potential he is bringing to the Southland, where Dodgers officials hope he can quickly develop into a bona fide big league ace.
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman described Sasaki as “one of the most electrifying and promising talents in the game.”
“This is truly an exciting moment for the Los Angeles Dodgers organization,” Friedman said, smiling back at Sasaki on the stage. “You will not only add to our rich legacy, but you will also play an instrumental part in helping us write the next chapter in Dodgers history.”
Over the last year, there had been speculation around MLB that the Dodgers had a possible handshake agreement in place with pitcher Roki Sasaki.
In addition to Sasaki and Friedman, the Dodgers filled up the makeshift stage on the right field loge level that hosted Wednesday’s news conference. General manager Brandon Gomes and manager Dave Roberts were there, as was club president Stan Kasten. In the first row of folding chairs, members of the Dodgers’ Guggenheim ownership group were present — though not club chairman Mark Walter — alongside members of Sasaki’s personal support team from Japan.
Like last year’s news conferences for Ohtani and Yamamoto, the “Guggenheim” name was also prominently displayed on the podium and backdrop.
But a new twist this time: Wednesday’s event opened with a highlight video of Sasaki that played over a line by Dodger Stadium public address announcer Todd Leitz:
“Now on the mound for the Dodgers — Roki Sasaki.”
For club brass, that sentence represented a longtime dream come true.
Friedman said Sasaki first popped up on the Dodgers’ radar six years ago, when his athletic frame and heavy velocity caught the attention of their international scouts while Sasaki was still in high school.
From there, Sasaki’s reputation has only grown, with his upper-90s fastball, devastating splitter and steadily improving slider leading evaluators to rank him as one of the most talented pitchers in the world.
“I think it’s definitely Cy Young-caliber,” Gomes said. “And to continue to do what he’s done in Japan, at this age, and have the ability and room to get better is really exciting and impressive.”
Roki Sasaki’s decision to play for the Dodgers, on what will start as a standard minor-league contract, instantly transforms the club’s short- and long-term future.
Sasaki does not yet consider himself a “finished product,” in the words of his agent Joel Wolfe of Wasserman Media Group. But the Dodgers’ are hopeful the 6-foot-4 hurler will be able to quickly adapt to life in the majors, and become an instant contributor in next season’s World Series title defense.
“The plan is to hit the ground running in spring training and have him be a big part of helping us win games,” Friedman said.
Sasaki described his decision-making process in free agency as “incredibly difficult,” after going through an initial round of meetings with a handful of teams before taking in-person visits to his three finalists, the Dodgers, San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays.
“When they left Toronto, I felt like he could easily go to Toronto. When we left San Diego, I felt like he could easily choose San Diego. And when he came here, I really thought the entire process, it was a coin flip,” Wolfe said. “I had no idea what he was gonna say when he ultimately said, ‘OK, it’s Dodgers.’”
Sasaki didn’t offer many specifics about what ultimately influenced his final choice, but cited the “stability of the front office” as one key factor. He also said he was looking for “a place purely based on where I can grow as a player the most.”
Some fans won’t be happy with Roki Sasaki signing with the Dodgers, but many team owners will be happy to see Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers come to town.
“I had the opportunity to speak to a lot of teams, and they had a lot of appealing features,” Sasaki said. “But overall, when I looked at the general consensus, I thought that the Dodgers were at the top.”
One dynamic Sasaki downplayed was the presence of Ohtani and Yamamoto already being on the team, saying it “wasn’t a priority for me” to play alongside fellow Japanese stars.
However, Sasaki said he did take solace in knowing “that a Japanese player would be embraced in the team and the city.”
And when he informed his two former Team Japan — and now, future Dodger — teammates of his decision, he said they immediately welcomed him to the club, the first of many warm receptions that has marked Sasaki’s blockbuster arrival.
“Being able to play with Ohtani and Yamamoto, both exceptional players, really looking forward to playing with them,” he said. “And not just them, but the rest of the team, which is incredibly talented as well. So I hope and I’m going to work toward making sure that I can stand side by side with them.”
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