When the Dodgers signed Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto as free agents last winter, it seemed to stamp them as “Japan’s team” and the destination of choice for future stars making the jump from NPB to MLB.
That is going to be put to the test this winter.
The Chiba Lotte Marines announced they will make young right-hander Roki Sasaki available through the posting system this winter. The move has been speculated for some time, with the Dodgers considered big favorites to sign Sasaki.
No date for the posting window has been set but it is expected to stretch into January. Once the posting window opens, teams will have 45 days to reach a contract agreement with Sasaki.
“From the time he joined the organization, we were told by him of his dream to play in America,” Chiba Lotte’s GM said in a statement released by the team. “Taking into account the last five years as a whole, we have decided to prioritize his thoughts. We are hoping he does his best as a representative of Japan. We are cheering for him.”
The 23-year-old Sasaki replaced Yamamoto as the best pitcher in Japan when Yamamoto left for the Dodgers. By his standards, Sasaki had a sub-par season in 2024, going 10-5 with a 2.35 ERA and 129 strikeouts in 111 innings.
His fastball velocity dipped in 2024 but still averaged 97.1 mph. He had some unspecified injuries. But over four seasons with the Marines, Sasaki was 29-15 with a 2.10 ERA and 0.89 WHIP.
To land Yamamoto, the Dodgers gave him the largest contract ever signed by a pitcher – $325 million over 12 years – and paid an additional $50 million posting fee to his former team. Sasaki will not cost as much.
Because of his age, Sasaki, who just turned 23 last week, will be subject to a different set of rules and can only sign a minor-league contract for bonus money capped by the individual team’s international bonus signing pool. Teams with the most bonus money available still have only about $7 million to offer currently.
Although he would originally sign a minor-league contract, Sasaki is not expected to spend any time in the minors.
Ohtani made the jump to the major leagues also at age 23 and signed with the Angels for a $2.315 million bonus and was under club control for six seasons until becoming a free agent last winter.
The Dodgers have been scouting Sasaki for years, with vice president of player personnel Galen Carr leading the effort and making several trips to Japan to watch Sasaki pitch.