A little more than a year ago, the Dodgers saw an opportunity on the horizon.
Entering last offseason, the team knew two-way Japanese star Shohei Ohtani was entering a historic free agency. They knew decorated Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto was planning to come from Japan to the majors. And they knew another generational Japanese arm, Roki Sasaki, wouldn’t be far behind.
It was a chance, as some with the club have termed it, to “paint Japan blue” and enhance both the team’s roster talent and international brand.
This week, the team is hoping it can turn the last part of that dream into reality.
They have already signed Ohtani. They have already signed Yamamoto. And now, they are reportedly believed to 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 is obviously a major priority for us,” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said of Sasaki earlier this winter. “We’re going to do whatever we can, and know that there are a lot of other teams that are going to do the exact same thing.”
When the Dodgers embarked on this pursuit last year, and targeted each member of the Japanese trifecta as a potential cornerstone of its long-term future, it initially seemed doubtful they would land all three players — let alone more than one.
Back then, there was a belief around the industry that Japanese players preferred to play on different major league teams. And while Dodgers decision-makers didn’t necessarily subscribe to the theory, they were admittedly unsure if the dynamic would impede their trans-Pacific triple play.
There were also financial dynamics that added complexity to the pursuits. It was clear Ohtani would command a record-breaking signing. Yamamoto’s young age (he was just 25 when he signed) made him another candidate for a lucrative, big-money deal. And though Sasaki is limited to signing only a minor-league contract with a modest signing bonus, since he is coming to the majors before turning 25, the Dodgers faced obstacles there as well. Thanks to MLB penalties against teams that exceed the league’s luxury tax threshold, the club owned the smallest international signing bonus pools in the 2025 class.
Nonetheless, the Dodgers were undeterred.
They made an all-out push for Ohtani, then celebrated when he presented — and accepted — 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 personal recruiting efforts — with the Dodgers as a key reason for his 12-year, $325-million signing a few weeks later.
And now, it’s looking increasingly more likely that Sasaki could follow in their footsteps this week, as he embarks upon an eight-day period to sign with an MLB club before his posting window closes on Jan. 23.
The Dodgers have long been seen as a top contender for Sasaki, a hard-throwing starter who had a career 2.10 ERA in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball league, for myriad reasons.
First and foremost, they are defending World Series champions and consensus betting favorites to defend their title in 2025; the kind of instant contender that could aid Sasaki’s personal goal of becoming “the No. 1 player in the world.”
Their lengthy history of recent pitching injuries aside, they are also seen as one of the more pitching-savvy franchises in baseball; the kind of place Sasaki, who only topped 100 innings twice in his four-year NPB career, could continue to develop as a young starter in the majors.
Read more: Analysis: With Gavin Lux gone, how Dodgers might deploy more versatile lineup in 2025
Endorsement dollars could also factor in. Thanks to Ohtani and Yamamoto, the Dodgers are now considered the most prominent 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 nothing more than the $5 million-to-$10 million range, the Dodgers could present robust opportunities for him to maximize his earnings off the field.
Then, of course, there is the Ohtani and Yamamoto effect. Both played with Sasaki on Japan’s title-winning team in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Both have personal relationships with the pitcher, something that could work in the Dodgers’ favor the way it did with Yamamoto following Ohtani’s signing last offseason.
Of course, the Dodgers are not alone in the Sasaki sweepstakes.
The San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays are also finalists in his free agency, as ESPN first reported. Both of those teams have their own unique appeals, as well as histories with other star Japanese players. Fellow Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish, another friend and former World Baseball Classic teammate of Sasaki’s, currently headlines the Padres’ rotation.
Still, the Dodgers have been optimistic about their chances. This past week, speculation of Sasaki coming to L.A. was further fueled when one of the top players in the Dodgers’ 2025 international class, Dominican shortstop Darrell Morel, reportedly flipped his commitment to the Pittsburgh Pirates — a move that would theoretically open up more of the $5.146 million available to the Dodgers in their 2025 bonus pool (tied with the San Francisco Giants for the smallest pool in the majors).
Read more: Dodgers trade Diego Cartaya, face potential arbitration hearing with Alex Vesia
“We’re gonna put our best foot forward about what we feel like we can help provide short-term, long-term development with our pitching group and our veteran players, and do everything we can to put our best foot forward,” Friedman said at the winter meetings about how the Dodgers would woo Sasaki. “Ultimately, this is a personal decision, and we’ll respect whatever that is. But we want to feel like we represented our organization and our city to the best of our ability.”
Sasaki’s list of contenders has narrowed in recent days. Giants general manager Zack Minasian revealed Monday that his club had been informed by Sasaki’s camp it was out of the running. That was followed by subsequent 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 Dodgers, Padres and Blue Jays remaining. Reports from the Athletic this week indicated Sasaki had visited the latter two cities after recently returning from Japan for a holiday break.
Within the next week, Sasaki will have to make a final decision.
And the Dodgers’ hope remains that, just like last season, they will be able to woo another top Japanese talent to Los Angeles.
Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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