Finally, the destination of Rocky Sasaki has been decided. As the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Toronto Blue Jays, and the San Diego Padres competed until the very end, they shared a room with Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.메이저놀이터
Sasaki officially announced on his SNS on the 18th (Korea time) that he has signed a minor contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Since his high school days, Sasaki has caught the eye of Major League scouts by throwing fast balls over 160 kilometers. However, Sasaki started making professional baseball real, not in the U.S., and garnered global attention by achieving the "perfect" game in 2022. He also led Japan to victory in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, proving that he can play well against players at the level of Major League Baseball, and secured permission from Chiba Lotte Marines this winter.
Initially, Sasaki told Chiba Lotte that it would advance to the Major League in the winter of 2023-2024. However, Chiba Lotte did not allow Sasaki to challenge at the time, but as a result of confirming Chiba Lotte's advance to the post season by winning its first 10 wins since its debut last year, Chiba Lotte decided to allow Sasaki to challenge in a landslide, which was posted to 30 Major League teams in December last year.
It was very likely that Sasaki's contract would be signed within 24 days from the 16th. The reason is that all players under the age of 25 are classified as "amateurs." Major League clubs have a fixed amount of money that can be used for amateur players. The amount was reset on the 16th, and the contract was likely to be made after the 16th in order to receive the maximum amount of down payment. And the final destination was finally decided on the 18th. It was the Dodgers.
The Dodgers considered Sasaki to be the most likely destination even before the posting. Since Sasaki hoped to advance to the Major League last year, rumors have it that he signed a contract with the Dodgers. The rumor was even mentioned by Dallas Keuchel, a former Cy Young Award player who shared a meal with Chiba Lotte last year. Nevertheless, the San Diego Padres and the Toronto Blue Jays competed until the end, but nothing happened.
Sasaki announced on his SNS on the 18th that he had signed a minor contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, saying, "It was a very difficult decision, but I will try to think that it was the right decision when I look back after my baseball life. At the joining conference, I thank all the people who have supported me so far, and I want to roll up the sleeves of the Dodgers uniform."
As a result, the Dodgers will be reborn as a club with three Japanese players, including "Idolryu" Shohei Ohtani, major league pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Sasaki.