The winter’s Roki Sasaki sweepstakes ended with the Japanese pitching phenom joining the Los Angeles Dodgers — a surprise to some given the team’s wealth of talent, but no shock to those who see the Dodgers as having unlimited room for the world’s best baseball players.
Still, Sasaki has remained quiet about why he specifically chose L.A. The Dodgers’ introductory press conference this afternoon provided an opportunity to gain insights into his decision-making process, and Sasaki shed some light on his reasoning.
Sasaki Speaks — Carefully
In his prepared remarks, Sasaki stated that he chose the Dodgers based purely on where he “can grow as a player the most” — confirming that player development was a key factor in his final decision.
Members of the media took turns trying to extract more details from Sasaki during the question-and-answer session that followed.
When asked what made the Dodgers the “right team” for him, Sasaki gave a generic response: “I had the opportunity to speak to a lot of teams… but overall, I thought the Dodgers were on top.”
No surprise there — the Dodgers just won the World Series. And based on their offseason acquisitions, they seem poised for more championships.
Sasaki was then asked about the much-discussed “homework assignment” he gave MLB teams during the courting process. As Alden Gonzalez of ESPN reported earlier, Sasaki asked each interested team “to diagnose why his fastball velocity dipped last season in Japan and outline a plan to ensure it wouldn’t happen again.”
In response, Sasaki again offered few details.
An Answer
Another journalist tried again to get specifics out of the 23-year-old, asking Sasaki what resonated with him most about the Dodgers.
Sasaki gave what was his most clear answer in the Q&A, stating, “The number one thing that stood out was the stability of the front office.”
His remark may have been a subtle nod to the San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays, two finalists in the Sasaki sweepstakes.
Both clubs have general managers who may be under pressure, though there is no immediate indication their jobs are in jeopardy. Securing Sasaki might have, in fact, helped solidify their positions.
The Padres, however, are embroiled in a Seidler family dispute over control of the team, which could have been a red flag for Sasaki.
As for other contenders, such as the New York Yankees and New York Mets, their general managers — Brian Cashman and David Stearns — face no apparent threats to their tenure.
Sasaki also addressed the presence of fellow Japanese players on the Dodgers, including Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
He clarified that having a sizable Japanese community in L.A. or teammates from Japan was not a primary factor in his decision. Instead, he emphasized that what mattered most was whether a Japanese player “would be embraced by the team and the city.”
What Really Mattered to Sasaki
In the end, it may be the “homework assignment” that sealed the deal. Sasaki clearly understands he’s not a finished product.
At the same time, being part of a stacked rotation allows Sasaki to manage both his pitch count and expectations, mitigating the strain of his devastating splitter, delaying what many see as inevitable surgery, and avoiding the burden of carrying a franchise.
Sasaki will get a whole lot of media attention. But he will have to share the spotlight with many other stars. It’s L.A. after all.
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