Rich get richer: Dodgers ‘slam dunk’ free agent target should have rest of MLB scrambling
One of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ top priorities this offseason is bolstering their starting pitching rotation and it seems like the best pitcher not currently playing in the MLB might just fall into their lap. Japanese superstar Roki Sasaki recently declined an offer to return to the Chiba Lotte Marines of the NPB and has made it clear that he wants to be posted to the MLB.
While declining this offer does not necessarily mean that Sasaki will be making the jump to the MLB, if he does come to North America, the Dodgers are currently viewed as the front-runners to land him. The Dodgers have been aggressively scouting him since he was in high school, but he drew the attention of the rest of the league with an impressive performance at the World Baseball Classic last year.
At just 23 years old, Sasaki already has an impressive resume. He tied Shohei Ohtani’s velocity record amongst Japanese-born players at 102.5 mph. In the NPB, he pitched a perfect game, has been named an All-Star twice, and broke the single game strikeout record with 19.
Sasaki joining Dodgers is a nightmare scenario for the rest of the MLB
Sasaki signing with the Dodgers is their dream, but it is pretty much a nightmare scenario for the rest of the league. If he is posted to the MLB, he will actually sign for relatively cheap because he would technically be considered an amateur due to his age. He would make a maximum of about $7.56 million with an $11 million signing bonus.
This price range would give the Dodgers a new ace and a lot of extra money to play with in free agency. Recent history suggests that the team will be extremely aggressive as they look to become the first team to repeat as World Series Champions since the Yankees’ three-peat dynasty between 1998 and 2000.
The rest of the MLB may need to scramble to court top players away from the Dodgers. The issue is that the Dodgers are one of the MLB’s richest franchises and can typically afford to outbid other teams. With the money sorted, the team has also built a winning culture that is very attractive to free agents.
Most players who come to Los Angeles want to stay. This offseason alone, Clayton Kershaw officially dispelled rumors that he would ever sign with the Texas Rangers to finish his career near his hometown and Teoscar Hernandez, Jack Flaherty, and Walker Buehler have all said that they hope to stay with the team.
Roki Sasaki may join fellow countrymen Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Los Angeles
The Dodgers are quickly becoming the destination for top Japanese talent. If the Dodgers are able to land Sasaki, he would be the third major signing of a Japanese player the team has made in recent years.
