Roki Sasaki joined the Los Angeles Dodgers in the minors. Yonhap News Agency
The Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States have become the last winners of the Stove League, even with Japan’s top prospect pitcher Roki Sasaki (24). The Dodgers re-signed key players and strengthened their roster by bringing in outside signings to kickstart their second straight World Series (WS) title.
On the 18th (Korean time), Sasaki posted on his SNS, “I signed a minor contract with the Dodgers. It was a very difficult decision, but I will try to make sure that when I look back on my baseball career, I think it was the right decision.” Sasaki, who was born in 2001, is 24 years old and signed a minor contract first under the rule that when a Japanese player under the age of 25 enters the MLB, he signs an international amateur contract. Sasaki’s contract payment is said to be $6.5 million (about 9.5 billion won).
Sasaki, who made his professional debut in 2020 when he joined the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball, uses a fastball in the 160 km/h range as his main weapon. In April 2022, at the age of 20 years and 5 months, he became the youngest player in Nippon Professional Baseball history to pitch a perfect game. Sasaki had a 29-15 record and a 2.10 ERA in 64 games over four seasons in Japan. After last season, he received Lotte’s approval and entered the MLB through a private competitive bidding.
The Dodgers, who are aiming for a second consecutive WS title, have been working hard to bolster their power this year as well. They signed Korean Tommy Hyun-so Edman to an extension and grabbed Blake Treinen and Teoscar Hernandez, who became free agents. In addition, they signed left-handed pitcher Blake Snell, who was the biggest free agent in free agency, to a five-year, $182 million deal. They also brought in outfielder Michael Conforto for $17 million (24.8 billion won) over one year.
Kim Hye-sung also rode the Dodgers’ storm of recruitment. The Dodgers signed Kim Hye-sung, who was trying to reach the big leagues on Dec. 4, to a 3+2-year contract worth up to $22 million (32.1 billion won). The Dodgers, who have plenty of infield resources, are clearing up the traffic by trading Gavin Lux, who played second base.
In addition, the Dodgers became the first MLB club to sign a South Sudanese player, adding more diversity to their roster. Baseball America reported on March 19 that the Dodgers have signed 17-year-old right-handed pitcher Joseph Deng from South Sudan to an international contract. “Very few MLB teams scout on the African continent,” Baseball America said, “but most teams focus on scouting in South America, but the Dodgers have a standout streak.”