Dodgers Meeting With Top Japanese Free Agent Who Reportedly Wants to Sign With LA

The Dodgers are looking to add another Japanese star.

Oct 27, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) celebrates with pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) and pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18) after winning in the eighteenth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays in game three of the 2025 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Los Angeles Dodgers are no strangers to acquiring the top talent the game has to offer, and that's especially true when it comes to Japan.

The Dodgers have made it a habit to acquire top Japanese talent in recent years with Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki.

Those three additions have played a significant role in Los Angeles' recent success. While those three players are elite and will continue to help the Dodgers, the organization might not be done adding talent from Japan.

The Dodgers have been linked to 18-year-old right-handed pitcher Shoki Oda this offseason. Oda is a Japanese prospect and is among the top young pitchers in the world.

The Dodgers are reportedly doing all they can to sign the young prospect, who loves the Dodgers. According to AM570's David Vassegh, the team will meet with the Japanese prospect and will be "aggressive" in trying to land him.

“The Dodgers are going to be aggressive to try to sign this young man. It’s well known that his favorite team is the Dodgers. It’s well known his favorite player is [Yoshinobu] Yamamoto,” Vassegh said on SportsNet LA. “My understanding, talking to people in the Japanese media community, Oda is starting to meet with teams. The Dodgers reportedly are one of them."

Dodgers Would Love to Add Shoki Oda

Oda reportedly wants to join the Dodgers, which is a great starting point for LA.

In October, Oda announced that he would skip Nippon Professional Baseball and move to the United States to propel his baseball career.

Oda will either sign with an MLB team as an international free agent or attend an American college.

The 18-year-old's decision to forgo the NPB Draft is the latest in a very short list of players who have done the same.

“His high school actually announced in Japan going into the next 10 days that he’s going to meet with other teams," Vassegh said. "But a lot of Japanese media members I’ve spoken to predict the Dodgers will be the team that signs Oda.”

Oda may be young, but he has all the tools to be an elite pitcher in the majors.

He has high velocity plus a deep arsenal that features a slider, curveball, changeup, splitter and cutter. On top of that, Oda dominated at his level, racking up 395 strikeouts in 303.2 innings during his high school career.

The Dodgers are among the most popular MLB teams in Japan, which is what they wanted to do all along. Signing Oda would only confirm that — and elevate their reach over the country's baseball fandom.

Add us as a preferred source on Google