Roki Sasaki reveals REAL reason he signed with Dodgers, drops Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s names in process

Roki Sasaki reveals that stability of the front office was something crucial for him and he found that with the Dodgers.

Roki Sasaki reveals REAL reason he signed with Dodgers, drops Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s names in process

Shohei Ohtani, Roki Sasaki, Yoshinobu Yamamoto [Image Credit: Spectrum News/Kyodo News/Reddit]

The Los Angeles Dodgers officially introduced Roki Sasaki at the press conference on Wednesday afternoon. During the media appearance, the 23-year-old revealed the real reason he chose to sign with them instead of other teams.

Sasaki said that the stability of the front office was something crucial for him and he found that comfortability with the Dodgers. Seeing their presentation and how they manage their player’s development impressed the Japanese rookie phenom.

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More than anything, Sasaki wanted to join a team that could help him grow. It is also the reason why he chose to debut in MLB at 23 knowing the contract restrictions until 25. 

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Apart from the front office being the reason, Sasaki was just excited to play with his WBC teammates Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. He clearly stated that having Japanese players within the team was not important but he’s looking forward to playing with them.

I had the opportunity to speak to a lot of teams, and they had a lot of appealing features. But overall when I looked at the general consensus, I thought that the Dodgers were at the top.

Roki Sasaki as per AJ Cassavell of MLB.com.

The same sentiment was shared by Roki Sasaki’s agent Joel Wolfe who said that Ohtani and Yamamoto did not influence Sasaki’s decision beforehand. Sasaki wore the No. 11 jersey at the press conference after veteran Miguel Rojas gave up his jersey number to welcome the ace pitcher.

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Sasaki further added that he is grateful to all the teams who competed and talked about how he can do better in the future. Their evaluations helped him shape his decision. 

Dodgers started recruitment process for Roki Sasaki 6 years ago

The whole Roki Sasaki-LA Dodgers signup came into scrutiny after the pitcher announced his decision on Friday to join the Dodgers. Many questioned if there was any pre-agreement and if the whole thing was just a farce.

Roki Sasaki
Roki Sasaki [Image Credit: Bleed Cubbie Blue]

While MLB investigations cleared up those rumors, fans and pundits were not satisfied. However, during Wednesday afternoon’s press conference, the Dodgers said that they started recruiting him for six years.

Even then, his explosive fastball, pinpoint command and poise beyond his years stood out. Roki has gone on to set records. He has made an indelible mark on the international stage. And we couldn’t be more excited about this partnership with him.

Andrew Friedman as per AJ Cassavell of MLB.com.

They noticed his excellence, ball speed, and control and knew he would be an asset in the future. Their preparations for Sasaki started years ahead of any team and they ultimately won the race.

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The Dodgers are expecting him to add to the roster for 2025 instead of delaying the process further. If he plays in the new season, the team will command a strong lineup of pitchers including – Yamamoto, Sasaki, Blake Snell, Shohei Ohtani, and Tyler Glasnow among others.