Los Angeles Dodgers land Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki

Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki, baseball’s hottest international free agent, is headed to the Los Angeles Dodgers, he announced Friday on social media.

The 23-year-old right-hander said he signed a minor league contract. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“I signed a minor contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers,” he said on Instagram in a message translated from Japanese to English. “It was a very difficult decision, but I will do my best to make it the right decision when I look back on my baseball career. I want to put my sleeve on the Dodgers uniform in the opening conference, in thanking everyone who has supported me so far.

Sasaki is just the latest Japanese star to join the MLB. Reigning National League MVP Shohei Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers ahead of the 2024 season, after six years with the Los Angeles Angels. The franchise also brought in pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto in 2023 on a 12-year, $325 million deal. Both were instrumental in Los Angeles winning the 2024 World Series.

Sasaki’s long-awaited signing follows a suspenseful offseason, in which teams such as the San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs and San Giants Francisco courted the young pitcher. In his first meetings with teams, Sasaki requested that no players be present, leading to much speculation surrounding his landing spot.

On Monday, Sasaki had narrowed his finalists to the Blue Jays, Dodgers and Padres. Many considered the Dodgers to be long-time favorites thanks to his playing experience with Ohtani and Yamamoto on the Japanese national team and the team’s star-studded roster. The Padres were also considered a major contender as Sasaki would reunite with his former mentor, accomplished Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish.

Despite Sasaki’s draw, his contract is not the blockbuster that others like Ohtani have signed due to MLB rules. International players under the age of 25 are considered amateurs and can only sign a minor league contract with an added bonus.

Sasaki, who played for the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball League, has a career ERA of 2.10 with 505 career strikeouts and a 29-15 record. In 2022, he pitched a perfect game against the Orix Buffaloes, NPB’s first perfect game in nearly 30 years. His outstanding performance earned him the nickname “Monster of the Reiwa Era”, referring to Japan’s current political era. Still, Sasaki said he still has learning to do in MLB.

“Roki is by no means a finished product,” Sasaki’s agent Joel Wolfe told Sports Illustrated of his move to the United States. “He knows it, and the teams know it. He is incredibly talented. We all know it. But he’s a guy who wants to be great. He doesn’t come here just to be rich or to get a big contract. He wants to be great. He wants to be one of the greatest of all time.