MLB Insider Reveals Major Details on Dodgers’ Second Meeting With Roki Sasaki

Mar 20, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Japan starting pitcher Roki Sasaki (14) delivers a pitch during the first inning against Mexico at LoanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Mar 20, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Japan starting pitcher Roki Sasaki (14) delivers a pitch during the first inning against Mexico at LoanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Dodgers have secured a second meeting with Roki Sasaki.

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Fabian Ardaya reported that L.A. will meet with the phenom for one last pitch on Tuesday and are expected to feature several Dodgers stars in the meeting.

Monday saw the Dodgers become one of three finalists Sasaki would land with as he told other teams his updated intentions.

Tuesday, L.A. will get an opportunity to close the deal.

Sasaki previously requested that no players be present in the initial meetings he made with the Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, New York Yankees and Mets, San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays, and Texas Rangers.

After seeing a video surface of the phenom pitching at Padres’ Petco Park with other players, the Dodgers saw first-hand how valuable a second meeting would be. 

The Dodgers have been interested in Sasaki well before he was first posted by his Nippon Professional Baseball team, the Chiba Lotte Marines, last month.

President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman was not trying to hide his excitement for the 23-year-old and the progress he has already seen Sasaki make in his game.

“He’s incredibly talented,” Friedman said at the Winter Meetings. “Really physical, incredible carrying fastball. His split is well above the average major league pitch. He’s worked hard on his slider, and it’s a really good pitch.”

Sasaki’s agent Joel Wolfe talked a lot about how development is going to be a major factor in whatever team the right-hander chooses.

“Roki is by no means a finished product,” Wolfe said. “He knows it, and the teams know it. He’s incredibly talented. We all know that. But he is a guy that wants to be great. He’s not coming here just to be rich or to get a huge contract. He wants to be great. He wants to be one of the greatest ever.”

Although these are lofty expectations, Friedman is confident not just in Sasaki, but how the Dodgers could potentially get him there.

“He has talked about his desire to be the best pitcher in the world,” Friedman said, “and we believe he’s capable of being the best pitcher in the world.”

The Dodgers already have major pitching reinforcements on the way to their rotation in Tyler Glasnow returning from injury, Shohei Ohtani returning to the mound for the first time in a Dodgers uniform, and Cy Young award winner Blake Snell, who was signed this offseason.

Sasaki, already a major talent in Japan, has a resume that speaks for itself. 

In his NPB career, Sasaki has a 2.10 ERA, 505 strikeouts, and only 88 walks in 394.2 innings pitched.

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