The Perfect Storm: Dodgers Positioned to Make Game Changing Move for…
The Los Angeles Dodgers already have added a superstar pitcher to the starting rotation but could they add another hurler?
Los Angeles’ rotation already has gotten a significant boost with the addition of two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell. If some teams were to add a hurler of Snell’s caliber, they likely would be done adding. But, the Dodgers are different. Los Angeles has been continuously linked to 23-year-old Rōki Sasaki who will be joining Major League Baseball after a four-year stint with the Chiba Lotte Marines.
CBS Sports’ R.J. Anderson predicted that he will end up signing with the Dodgers.
“Rōki Sasaki, RHP: Dodgers,” Anderson said. “Sasaki is younger than 25 years old and has fewer than six years of professional experience, meaning he’s classified by MLB as an amateur free agent. That designation restricts his earning potential, limiting teams to offer only what they have in their international amateur free-agent bonus pool.
“Relatedly, Sasaki won’t sign until international bonus pools reset on Jan. 15, giving more teams more money to throw his way. The ‘wide open’ nature of the bidding makes Sasaki the rare premium free agent who could (and should) draw interest from all teams. Even so, we’re sticking by the team long regarded as the favorites.”
If the Dodgers somehow could land Sasaki, that would be an absolute game-changer. Los Angeles landed Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a historic $325 million deal last offseason. Sasaki has been said to be an even better prospect but will be significantly cheaper and is younger.
