The Dodgers signed 23-year-old pitcher Roki Sasaki, the Japanese right-hander they’ve coveted for years, making the minor league contract official on January 22, 2025.
Sasaki was posted to Major League Baseball by the Chiba Lotte Marines on December 9 at his request, two years earlier than he would have qualified for true free agency. By coming overseas now, the right-hander was considered an amateur free agent and subject to international bonus pool limits.
That made the right-hander, who had a 2.02 ERA in his four years in Japan, arguably the most coveted player on the market this offseason, with his combination of talent, youth, and relative inexpensive cost. His 45-day posting window meant he had to sign with a major league team by January 23.
The Dodgers signed Sasaki for a signing bonus of $6.5 million, and he will need to accrue six years of major league service time before qualifying for free agency.
“I have signed a minor contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers,” Sasaki wrote in an Instagram post on January 17. “It was a very difficult decision, but I will do my best to make it the right decision when I look back after my baseball career.”
The Dodgers will pay a $1.3 million release fee to Chiba Lotte, equal to 20 percent of Sasaki’s contract.
Welcome to Los Angeles, Roki Sasaki!
佐々木朗希投手、ロサンゼルスにようこそ！ pic.twitter.com/EOXp3Z4Xpy— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) January 22, 2025
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