The Los Angeles Dodgers pulled off their biggest coup of the offseason with Roki Sasaki announcing his intent to sign with the team. Despite best efforts of the San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays, the Dodgers came out on top with their second high-profile starting pitcher signing of free agency.
While the star power that the Dodgers were able to bring to the table in their second meeting with Sasaki helped move the needle, there was plenty of work that went into getting that opportunity.
What may have ultimately sealed the deal was how the Dodgers answered a key question Sasaki had during the initial round of team meetings.
According to Fabian Ardaya, Dennis Lin and others of The Athletic, Sasaki wanted information on his fastball velocity decreasing during the 2024 season:
He asked each potential employer to explain the reason behind a vexing issue that lingered over his final season before a long-anticipated jump to the majors: Why did his velocity fall off?
Sasaki’s inquiry impressed those involved in the sweepstakes and served as further indication of his desire to become one of the best pitchers:
The question was pointed and “incredibly thoughtful,” according to one of the executives tasked with answering it. It also proved consuming, posed to teams just days before the first round of meetings.
“The homework assignment,” said one club official briefed on the process, “was the presentation, basically.”
Sasaki was dominant on the mound with 12 strikeouts per nine innings in 2022 and 13.4 in 2023. However, in 2024 a dip in velocity saw his strikeouts per nine innings drop, while Sasaki’s ERA, hits allowed and walks all increased.
Going to a team that would help him develop into the best version of himself was reportedly a high priority for Sasaki. The Dodgers have developed a reputation over the years as one of the best at handling pitching talent, so it is no surprise that they seemingly impressed Sasaki with their insight.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto ‘instrumental’ to Dodgers signing Roki Sasaki
While the Dodgers pulled out all the stops during their second interview with Sasaki, Yoshinobu Yamamoto in particular was reportedly ‘instrumental’ in their efforts.
Yamamoto played a key role in being able articulate how the Dodgers assisted his transition from Nippon Professional Baseball to MLB last season, which was obviously a huge selling point for Sasaki.
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