The top team in baseball is bringing in a highly skilled and affordable addition to their star-studded pitching lineup.

Rōki Sasaki, a 23-year-old sensation from Japan, has made headlines by choosing to sign with the World Series winning Los Angeles Dodgers after a six-week recruitment process, which he announced via social media on Friday. His entry to Major League Baseball (MLB) comes with a surprisingly low acquisition cost for teams.

This signing not only strengthens the Dodgers but also enhances their future prospects, gearing them up to be a formidable opponent during the 2025 season. However, this decision leaves several disappointed teams behind, particularly the Toronto Blue Jays and San Diego Padres, who were among the last teams vying for his commitment.

Sasaki opted to be posted by his former Japanese team, Chiba Lotte, before reaching the service time needed to become a free agent. Following the route taken by Shohei Ohtani in 2018, his acquisition will only impact the international signing pool, allowing the Dodgers to retain control of his salary for the next six years.

Thus, every MLB team had an opportunity to pursue Sasaki. For teams like the Padres and the San Francisco Giants, it’s particularly ironic that Sasaki and Ohtani will now form part of the same rotation.

Joining them is Blake Snell, who signed a five-year, $182 million contract in December, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who was secured last year after showcasing impressive performances in Japan, signing a $325 million deal and playing a crucial role in the Dodgers’ postseason success.

Moreover, the Dodgers have a strong roster of right-handers, including Dustin May and former All-Star Tony Gonsolin, who are recovering from injuries. Don’t forget about Clayton Kershaw, who has a presumed offer to return to the team.

With prospects like Bobby Miller and Landon Knack also in the mix, the Dodgers now have nine viable starting pitchers at their disposal for a 162-game season and any playoff challenges. This depth will help ease Sasaki’s transition to the majors, as he won’t be under pressure to pitch every game or accumulate heavy inning totals.

This is particularly advantageous for a pitcher who has never exceeded 129 ⅓ innings in a season. His agent, Joel Wolfe, commended Sasaki’s eagerness to learn and hinted that the team’s history of developing pitchers played a crucial role in Sasaki’s decision.

And the Dodgers have an impressive foundation to work with.

Sasaki recorded a 2.02 ERA across 69 games with Chiba Lotte, culminating in a remarkable 1.88 ERA in 2023 while striking out 135 in 91 innings over 15 games. In his last year in Japan, he secured 10 wins in 18 starts, also achieving 129 strikeouts in 111 innings.

Notably, he pitched a perfect game in 2022, followed by another impressive outing where he completed eight perfect innings before being pulled by his manager for safety reasons.

Standing at 6-foot-4, with a sturdy build, Sasaki has reached speeds of 102 mph with his fastball, regularly operating in the upper 90s. Like Yamamoto, his splitter proves to be an effective pitch in high-pressure situations; it is expected that Sasaki will undergo an adjustment period regarding his pitching strategy when facing major league hitters consistently.

Nevertheless, the Dodgers are getting minimal risk with this acquisition. After investing most of their $5 million international signing budget to secure Sasaki, his salaries will remain at or slightly above the league minimum, which is under $800,000, for the initial three years.

They will also maintain rights to him during three years of salary arbitration, and if he avoids the minors, they will keep him under control for another three arbitration years before he can hit free agency following the 2030 season. Such an extended control period for a talent of his caliber is extremely valuable.

That’s just one reason why this consistently successful franchise, boasting two World Series titles, four National League (NL) pennants, and 12 consecutive playoff appearances since 2013, is so well-positioned to continue thriving.