Surprise!
On Friday, Chiba Lotte Marines pitcher Roki Sasaki announced on Instagram that he would ply his trade for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2025.
The news ended months of speculation over Sasaki's fate, during which the Dodgers were regarded as a favorite all along. It also reunites Sasaki with two of his teammates on Japan's World Baseball Classic-winning team of 2023—designated hitter and pitcher Shohei Ohtani and pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
This is thrilling news if you're a fan of Los Angeles, who can reasonably claim they're set up better than any defending World Series champion this century. If you're a fan of baseball's 29 other teams, not so much.
Japanese star Roki Sasaki signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, he announced on Instagram. The 23-year-old right-hander with a sizzling fastball and deadly splitter joins Samurai Japan teammates Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto with the World Series champion Dodgers.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 17, 2025
The jokes wrote themselves.
https://t.co/jdMFZH9dJA pic.twitter.com/4daewoIhpZ
— Justin Ferguson (@JFergusonAU) January 17, 2025
The Dodgers finally make a move to add some front line talent.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) January 17, 2025
It’s been a long few weeks since they had last done so. https://t.co/H3SvBHWzk4
I was just thinking the dodgers needed more talent https://t.co/akJmGMuXjA
— Alec Lewis (@alec_lewis) January 17, 2025
Dodgers fans reveled in another red-letter signing.
The Dodgers have collected all Infinity Stones pic.twitter.com/OmAFGP2AzJ
— WORLD SERIES CHAMPION ANDREW (@Dodgersdryphone) January 17, 2025
After all, Los Angeles sports has been short on good news this decade.
Good for the Dodgers to get Roki Sasaki, that franchise has been in the mud for too long and really needed a win 🙏🏾
— Oluwajomiloju (@JomiAdeniran) January 17, 2025
Opposing fans compared him to Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant, whose 2016 move to the Golden State Warriors has become (fair or not) a byword for taking the easy way out in sports.
Just another KD smh https://t.co/fms551edxL
— Giannis Auntiegotapoodle (@TooMuchMortons_) January 17, 2025
Many fans rolled their eyes at early reports that suggested Sasaki was willing to start out in a small market to develop his game.
“Small market” “pitching development” they said https://t.co/xktJNJ6dpa
— Evan Greenfield (@EvanGreenfield6) January 17, 2025
Kudos to the pitcher and his representation for keeping fans guessing.
And nobody was surprised https://t.co/o1yh0w7I85
— Adam Gretz (@AGretz) January 17, 2025
Baseball is a funny game and twists between now and October will be many, but it's clear at the moment that the 2025 World Series is the Dodgers' to lose.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as MLB World Dismayed As Roki Sasaki Signing Adds to Dodgers' Treasure Trove.
