According to a person familiar with the situation, neither Shohei Ohtani nor Yoshinobu Yamamoto participated in the Dodgers’ first pitch to Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki at Wasserman Media Group’s Westwood office before the holidays. It is said that it was not done. I am not authorized to speak publicly about it.
What is the reason for their absence? They weren’t invited.
The 23-year-old right-handed pitcher’s agent, Joel Wolfe, said during a 20-minute video call with reporters to provide an update on Sasaki negotiations, “One of the criteria for the talks was that Loki asked that no player attend.” That’s what happened.” on monday.
“There were a few teams that had video of one or two players, but for the most part it was the general manager, maybe the assistant GM, the manager, the pitching coach, and the biomechanics performance and training people. “staff. “
Wolf did not say how many teams have met with Sasaki in recent weeks, but five other teams have met with him in recent weeks: the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers and San Francisco Giants. It is publicly known that they have met with him, and the San Diego Padres are considered a likely candidate for his services.
The meeting was limited to two hours and was held in Mr. Wolf’s office. There were no stadium visits or trips to other cities.
“I think he did it to preserve the integrity of the conference process,” Wolf said. “And I think the teams he meets will tell you he’s engaged and he asks questions.”
Wolff said Sasaki “returned to Japan to meet with his family and team officials to determine his next steps.” I think it’s more likely that we’ll probably meet with one or two additional teams or narrow down the field.
Wolff Sasaki said there was also the possibility of “visiting one or two cities to make a final decision” and that a decision would likely be made the week after January 15, when the 2025 international contract period begins. .
Monday’s conference call provided few details, but shed some light on the recruiting process and provided some insight into the pitcher.
After Sasaki was transferred to the Chiba Lotte Marines on Dec. 9, Wolf sent a letter to all 30 teams asking them to send “any type of information you would like Loki to consider.”
Twenty teams responded, many with spectacular presentations.
“The level of preparation, the video… it was like the Loki Film Festival,” Wolf said. “There were detailed PowerPoint presentations and short films, and there was even a team that actually wrote a book. People spent hundreds of hours researching Loki and his personal and professional background. It’s obvious and I can’t tell you how much he and his family appreciated that.”
Joel Wolfe, the agent for Japanese player Aki Sasaki, spoke to reporters at the MLB Winter Meetings on December 10th.
(Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press)
Saski also gave “homework” to each team he met with, “giving each team an opportunity to really demonstrate their area of expertise,” Wolf said.
The Dodgers, who defeated the New York Yankees in five straight World Series games in October, have long been considered the favorites to acquire Sasaki, but if Sasaki ends up going to Los Angeles, it won’t necessarily be because of Ohtani’s presence. . Yamamoto was Sasaki’s teammate on the 2023 World Baseball Classic championship team.
“We’ve talked a lot about the team’s location, the market size, the team’s success, but he doesn’t seem to care much about whether there are Japanese players on the team,” Wolf said. “In the past, I was representing Japanese players, so that was sometimes an issue, but it was never brought up.”
The 6-foot-4, 203-pound Sasaki appeared in 69 games over four seasons in Japan, pitching 414 2/3 innings with 524 strikeouts and 91 walks, posting a 30-15 record with a 2.02 ERA. I left a mark. In 2024, he appeared in 18 games and had a record of 10 wins, 5 losses, and an ERA of 2.35, with 129 strikeouts and 32 walks in 111 innings.
The highlight of Sasaki’s career was a perfect game against the Orix Buffaloes on April 10, 2022. In this game, he tied the Japanese professional baseball record with 19 strikeouts, and set an NPB record with 13 consecutive strikeouts.
Mr. Sasaki’s thing is electricity. He can generate a lot of whiffs with a lively fastball that reaches in the 98-mph range to 162 mph, and complements the heater with a sharply varying split-finger fastball that he throws between 88 and 93 mph. , an 87-91 mph slider and an occasional 78-81 mph slow curve.
Aki Sasaki pitches at the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
(Hoshiko Eugene/AP)
But what makes Sasaki even more coveted is that he is a potential ace who can be acquired at minimal cost.
Sasaki wasn’t yet 25, so when Ohtani, then 23, signed with the Angels for $2.315 million, earning him $545,000 (2018), $650,000 (2019), and $700,000. Similarly, he will be limited to minor league contracts with modest bonuses. (2020) in the first three seasons.
Had he waited two more years before leaving Japan, Sasaki would have ended up signing a nine-figure contract, just like Yamamoto, who signed a 12-year, $325 million contract with the Dodgers last winter.
“Loki is never a finished product. He knows that, and the team knows that,” Wolff said. “He’s incredibly talented. We all know that. But he’s a guy who wants to be great. He didn’t just come here to get rich or get a huge contract. No. He wants to be one of the greatest players of all time, and he knows he has to challenge himself to be that way.
“His experience in the WBC, being around (San Diego pitcher Yu) Darvish and Ohtani, and watching (Cubs left-handed pitcher) Imanaga come in and dominate at such a level in the first half, I think I noticed the following “To take it to the next level, he’s going to have to come here and play against the best players in the world every day and have all the resources a major league team needs to help him become one of the best pitchers of all time.” It was necessary to take advantage of it. Out of NPB, but throughout Major League Baseball. ”
Sasaki will be joining an already deep team led by right-handers Tyler Glasnow and Yamamoto, as well as two-time Cy Young Award-winning left-hander Blake Snell, who signed a five-year, $182 million contract in late November. This will strengthen the Dodgers’ rotation.
Ohtani, a two-way star and 2024 National League Most Valuable Player who was demoted to designated hitter last season while recovering from another elbow surgery, is expected to return to the mound in early 2025. There is.
Right-handers Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin are also expected to return from elbow surgery this season, and three-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw is also expected to re-sign. Young right-handers Landon Knack and Bobby Miller will provide depth.
“He’s obviously a top priority for us,” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said during winter meetings in early December. “We’re going to do the best we can and we know there are a lot of other teams out there trying to do the exact same thing.”
