Ohtani informed the Los Angeles Dodgers that they had landed prized Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Shohei Ohtani told the Los Angeles Dodgers that award-winning Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki joined the team.

Ohtani sent a text message to Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman before Sasaki’s agent even informed the club.

“It was pure excitement when we found out,” Friedman said Wednesday during Sasaki’s introduction outside Dodger Stadium.

Manager Dave Roberts said his response included “maybe a few expletives.”

Sasaki signed a minor league contract with a $6.5 million signing bonus. The 23-year-old donned a No. 11 jersey with “R. Sasaki” on the back, becoming the 13th Japanese player to join the franchise.

Like Ohtani, Sasaki has a dog – a black toy poodle. Sasaki wore socks with a dog’s face on them.

“We share the same birthday,” a smiling Sasaki said through a translator.

A right-hander whose fastball exceeds 100 mph, Sasaki announced his intention to sign with the Dodgers on Friday. Sasaki met with eight teams, then cut through the pack and visited the Dodgers, San Diego and Toronto.

“The Padres and Blue Jays had great pitches and presentations. They left him on the field,” said Sasaki’s agent, Joel Wolfe. “When they left Toronto, I felt like he could easily go to Toronto. When we left San Diego, I felt like he could easily choose San Diego. When he came here, I really thought the whole process was a game of chance. I had no idea what he was going to say when he finally said, “Okay, it’s the Dodgers.” »

Sasaki joined other Japanese stars Ohtani And Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the Dodgers in a signing long anticipated by many baseball executives.

“I am deeply honored that many teams have contacted me with such enthusiasm, especially since I have not achieved much in Japan,” Sasaki said through a translator. “It was an incredibly difficult decision to choose just one.”

Although Sasaki pitched just under 400 innings in Japan, Friedman said Sasaki would immediately be a part of the team’s rotation.

“His goal is to be the first Japanese pitcher to win a Cy Young and he certainly has the ability to do that,” Friedman said. “The plan is to start as soon as spring training.”

Introducing Sasaki, Friedman called him “one of the most electrifying and promising talents in the game.” He said the Dodgers had been following Sasaki for six years and their scouts first saw him in high school in Japan.

“Even then, his explosive fastball, precise command and balance beyond his years stood out,” Friedman said.

At last month’s winter meetings, Wolfe denied that a deal with the Dodgers was already in place.

“I think it was a fair and equitable process,” Wolfe said.

Wolfe revealed last month that MLB had investigated.

“It’s been a long process,” Roberts said. “Roki kept things very close to the vest. Many man hours went into this process, as well as many air miles.

When asked why he chose the Dodgers, Sasaki replied, “I thought the Dodgers were at the top. The first thing that stood out was the stability of the front office.

Sasaki had until Thursday to finalize a contract. He was considered an international amateur under MLB rules because he is under 25 and does not have six years of service in the Japanese major leagues, making him subject to international signing bonus pools.

Los Angeles started with a pool of $5,146,200, but increased it to $8,102,800 with two trades last week, acquiring $1.5 million from Cincinnati and $1,456,600 from Philadelphia.

The Dodgers plan to use a six-man rotation, which could ease Sasaki’s transition to the MLB, as the Dodgers attempt to become the first repeat champion since the New York Yankees from 1998-2000.

“He asked about it and was curious about what the plan was,” Friedman said.

Sasaki spoke about the deadly wildfires that destroyed neighborhoods in Los Angeles. He was 9 years old when a 9.0 magnitude earthquake caused a tsunami in his hometown, sweeping away his home and killing his father and paternal grandparents.

“As I also went through a difficult time due to a natural disaster, I always made sure to never lose sight of my goals and continue to look forward,” he said. “Los Angeles is facing difficult and difficult times right now. As a member of the Dodgers, starting today, I am dedicated to doing my best and moving forward with the people of this city.

Sasaki was made available to MLB teams for a 45-day window by the Chiba Lotte Marines of the Japanese Pacific League as part of the secondment agreement between Nippon Professional Baseball and MLB.

The Marines will receive a release fee of $1,625,000, calculated at 25 percent of the amount of Sasaki’s signing bonus. Money is due within 30 days after MLB approves the contract.

Sasaki was 10-5 with a 2.35 ERA in 18 games last year, striking out 129 batters in 111 innings during a season limited by shoulder inflammation. He went 7-4 with a 1.78 ERA in 15 starts in 2023, when he dealt with an oblique injury. He has a career record of 29-15 with a 2.10 ERA over four seasons with the Marines and pitched a perfect game against Orix in April 2022.

Among international amateur free agents, Los Angeles also reached deals with Venezuelan infielders Luis Tovar ($397,500) and Moises Acacio ($197,500), Panamanian left-hander Adrian Torres ($362,500) and Colombian shortstop Luis Luna ($137,500).

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AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum in New York contributed to this report.

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