Breaking Down The Roki Sasaki Deal With Dodgers

roki sasaki pitcher
Roki Sasaki is the latest to join after Ohtani and Yamamoto

Roki Sasaki deal with Dodgers will earn him a $6.5 million signing bonus. His signing bonus with the Dodgers was capped at $8,233,920. Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki has agreed to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers after he announced in a post on his Instagram on Friday afternoon. The 23-year-old talented Japanese pitcher is receiving a signing bonus of $6.5 million, according to multiple reports.

roki sasaki dogers
A photo of LA Dodgers Cap by Roki Sasaki.

He made his choice six days before his 45-day posting window was set to close. His former NPB team Chiba Lotte Marines posted Sasaki in December, and he elected to wait until after the start of the 2025 international signing period on January 15 to choose a team.

With a long list of interest MLB teams, Sasaki joins the World Series champions team Dodgers looking to establish himself as MLB’s Japanese star, joining as Dodgers Japanese pitcher after Shohei Ohtani. He will join Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Tyler Glasnow alongside Ohtani making the Dodgers’ pitching one of the greatest in baseball history.

What Sasaki Deal With Dodgers Means

Roki Sasaki’s deal with the Dodgers means they are well-equipped to help Sasaki become one of the best starting pitchers in MLB, as they have a knack for bringing the best in Major League-caliber arms. Also, Sasaki has already seen great success at a high professional level, he shouldn’t need a total overhaul, but rather some molding to reach his full potential.

roki sasaki pitching
Roki Sasaki during his time at Chiba lotte

The Dodgers further just so happened to add a pair of aces in their places. As it stands, here is what the Dodgers’ pitching rotation looks like to start 2025:

1. Blake Snell, LHP
2. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, RHP
3. Tyler Glasnow, RHP
4. Shohei Ohtani, RHP
5. Roki Sasaki, RHP
6. Tony Gonsolin, RHP

The six-man rotation is becoming more and more popular across MLB, and the Dodgers certainly have the depth to roll one out at the start of the year.