Dodgers Reportedly Planning to Go All Out to Sign Another Japanese Superstar Pitcher
If you thought the hysteria around Yoshinobu Yamamoto's recruitment process was considerable, just wait for the next wave of elite pitchers coming over to the Big Leagues from Japan.
Most notably, we're talking about 22-year-old phenom Roki Sasaki.
A report on Sasaki came out Thursday morning courtesy of media outlet ShoTime News. Dodgers Nation journalist Noah Camras summarized the report in English for those who aren't native speakers of the Japanese language:
Sasaki is no stranger to the spotlight. He made his professional debut in the NPB during the 2021 season. His coaches with the Chiba Lotte Marines have been extra careful in not overworking Sasaki. While limiting his innings and pitches thrown, Sasaki still is coming off back-to-back All-Star appearances.
In one game, he struck out 13 batters in a row. He finished the contest with a league-record 19 strikeouts. Sasaki was a member of the Japan team which won the gold medal in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
Playing in front of both American scouts and fans for the first time, he averaged over 100 miles per hour on his fastball. One of his pitches reached 102 miles per hour.
Under normal international signing rules, these players are going up against a few restrictions. Essentially, a player has to be 25 years of age (with six years of service) to cash in on some sort of deal. In this case, Sasaki won't turn 25 until 2027.
However, this doesn't prevent a player from signing a deal with a Major League club -- assuming it gets permission to 'get posted' by its current club. In this situation, Sasaki reportedly wants to come over to the Major Leagues after this season. He's willing to sacrifice considerable money to make this dream happen. This will only happen if his current club signs off on him being made available.
What does this all mean as it pertains to the Dodgers?
Essentially, the Dodgers could add the best pitching prospect on the planet to their rotation a year from now on a minor league deal.
For as special as Yamamoto projects to be, Sasaki has an even higher ceiling. He's been listed anywhere between 6-foot-2 and 6-foot-4. He might have the most potent fastball on the planet when combining velocity, movement, and frequency. From there, Sasaki has a wipeout splitter and an assortment of other off-speed pitches.
Based on how forward-thinking this organization is, coupled with the reports that they've been in on Sasaki for years, you'd have to think the Dodgers are the favorites to land this talented pitcher.
Essentially, all eyes will focus on whether Sasaki can convince his current club to post him.
If this happens, the arms race for Sasaki between the Dodgers and other clubs should be fascinating.
