A little over a year ago, the Dodgers saw an opportunity on the horizon.
At the start of last offseason, the team knew about the Japanese two-way star Shohei Ohtani was entering historic free agency. They knew the decorated Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto was considering coming from Japan to the majors. And they knew another generational Japanese branch, Roki Sasakiwouldn’t be far behind.
It was an opportunity, as some club members called it, to “paint Japan blue” and showcase both the team’s talents and its international brand.
This week, the team hopes to turn the last part of that dream into reality.
They already have signed Ohtani. They already have signed Yamamoto. And now they would be finalists for Sasaki, who could sign as soon as Wednesday, when the 2025 international signing period officially opens.
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“He’s someone that’s obviously a major priority for us,” the Dodgers president of baseball operations said. Andrew Friedman said of Sasaki earlier this winter. “We’re going to do everything we can and we know there are a lot of other teams that will do the exact same thing.”
When the Dodgers embarked on this quest last year and targeted each member of the Japanese trio as a potential cornerstone of its long-term future, it initially seemed doubtful that they would draft all three players — much less more. ‘A.
At the time, the industry believed that Japanese players preferred to play on different major league teams. And while the Dodgers’ decision-makers didn’t necessarily subscribe to the theory, they certainly didn’t know if the dynamic would hamper their transpacific triple play.
There were also financial dynamics that added to the complexity of the activities. It was clear that Ohtani would command a record signing. Yamamoto’s young age (he was only 25 when he signed) made him another candidate for a lucrative, lucrative contract. And although Sasaki is limited to signing only a minor league contract with a modest signing bonus, since he’s coming to the majors before he turns 25, the Dodgers have also faced obstacles. Thanks to MLB penalties against teams that exceed the league’s luxury tax threshold, the club had the smallest international signing bonus pools in the 2025 class.
Nonetheless, the Dodgers were not deterred.
They made an all-out effort for Ohtani, then celebrated when he presented — and agreed to — a 10-year, $700 million contract last offseason in which almost all of his salary would be deferred.
That created a domino effect with Yamamoto, who credited Ohtani’s presence — and his personal recruiting efforts — to the Dodgers as a key reason for his 12-year, $325 million signing a few weeks later.
And now it seems increasingly likely that Sasaki could follow in their footsteps this week, as he begins an eight-day period to sign with an MLB club before his assignment window closes on January 23.
The Dodgers have long been considered a top suitor for Sasaki, a powerhouse starter who had a career 2.10 ERA in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball League, for myriad reasons.
Above all, they are the defending World Series champions and consensus betting favorites to defend their title in 2025; the kind of instant contender who could help Sasaki achieve his personal goal of becoming “the No. 1 player in the world.”
Aside from their long history of recent pitching injuries, they are also considered one of the most proficient pitching franchises in baseball; the kind of place where Sasaki, who only lasted 100 innings twice during his four-year NPB career, could continue to develop as a young starter in the majors.
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Support dollars could also be considered. Thanks to Ohtani and Yamamoto, the Dodgers are now considered the most important MLB brand in Japan, where they will open their season in March with two games against the Chicago Cubs. And since Sasaki’s signing bonus will be limited to $5 million to $10 million, the Dodgers could offer him solid opportunities to maximize his earnings off the field.
And then, of course, there’s the Ohtani and Yamamoto effect. Both played with Sasaki on the Japanese team that won the title in 2023 World Baseball Classic. Both have personal relationships with the pitcher, which could work in the Dodgers’ favor as it did with Yamamoto after signing Ohtani last offseason.
Of course, the Dodgers aren’t alone in the Sasaki sweepstakes.
The San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays are also finalists in his free agency, as first reported by ESPN. Both of these teams have their own attractions, as well as histories with other star Japanese players. Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish, another friend and former teammate of Sasaki’s at the World Baseball Classic, currently leads the Padres’ rotation.
Still, the Dodgers are optimistic about their chances. Last week, speculation about Sasaki coming to Los Angeles was further fueled when one of the top players in the Dodgers’ 2025 international class, Dominican shortstop Darrell Morel, reportedly canceled his commitment to the Los Angeles Pirates. Pittsburgh – a move that would theoretically open up more possibilities. the $5.146 million the Dodgers have in their 2025 bonus pool (tied with the San Francisco Giants for the smallest pool in the majors).
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“We’re going to do the best we can on what we think can help ensure the short and long term development of our pitching group and our veteran players, and do everything we can to do the best we can,” Friedman said during the winter meetings about how the Dodgers would court Sasaki. “Ultimately, it’s a personal decision, and we will respect it whatever it is.” But we want to feel like we represented our organization and our city to the best of our abilities.
Sasaki’s list of suitors has narrowed in recent days. Giants general manager Zack Minasian revealed Monday that his club had been informed by Sasaki’s camp that he was out of the running. This was followed by later reports that the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs, Arizona Diamondbacks and others had received the same message.
That left the remaining Dodgers, Padres and Blue Jays. Reports from The Athletic this week indicated that Sasaki visited the latter two cities after recently returning from Japan for vacation.
Next week, Sasaki will have to make a final decision.
And the Dodgers are still hoping that, just like last season, they can lure another top Japanese talent to Los Angeles.
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This story was originally published in Los Angeles Times.
