Now that Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki has officially signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, he’s ready to enjoy some American food.
“I haven’t tried any American burgers, so I’m really looking forward to eating the best one,” Sasaki said through a translator in an interview with SportsNetLA.
Sasaki, 23, signed with the Dodgers as an international free agent, meaning he will be under team control for six seasons. Sasaki also received a $6.5 million signing bonus.
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Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) speaks during an introductory press conference at Dodger Stadium. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images)
With the signing bonus, Sasaki can try as many burgers as he wants.
Sasaki dominated Nippon Professional Baseball, recording a 2.10 ERA over four seasons with a whopping 505 strikeouts in 394 2/3 innings.
Sasaki was highly coveted in Major League Baseball once his bidding period opened, but chose the reigning World Series champions as his next team.
This is the second straight season the Dodgers have signed a free agent pitcher from Japan, as they handed Yoshinobu Yamamoto the largest guaranteed contract for a pitcher in MLB history last offseason.
Yamamoto signed a 12-year, $325 million contract and delivered in year one with a 7-2 record and 3.00 ERA over 18 regular season starts and 90 innings pitched.
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Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) is photographed by the media during an introductory press conference at Dodger Stadium. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images)
If Sasaki had waited two years until he turned 25, he could have hit the free agent market and signed an exorbitant contract like Yamamoto, but Sasaki wanted to play in the big leagues sooner.
Sasaki said he plans to rely not only on Yamamoto, but also on compatriot Shohei Ohtani this season.
“There are a lot of things I won’t know, so I’m going to rely on our coaches and our players to get to know the team. But also, we have Japanese players on the team, so I will also lean on them,” Sasaki said.
If Sasaki pans out the way the Dodgers hope, they will have one of the best rotations in baseball.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) is photographed by the media during an introductory press conference at Dodger Stadium. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images)
Ohtani will return to the mound after not pitching last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. The Dodgers signed two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell this offseason.
Tyler Glasnow will return after his 2024 season ended prematurely due to an elbow injury. Add Yamamoto and Sasaki to the mix, and that gives the Dodgers five starters with ace potential in their rotation, a rarity in baseball.
The Dodgers’ journey to becoming repeat World Series champions begins when they face the Chicago Cubs in Japan for a two-game series March 18-19.
