Japanese prodigy Roki Sasaki on Friday announced he is joining the Los Angeles Dodgers following a frenzied Major League Baseball battle for the coveted pitcher’s signature.
Sasaki, 23, confirmed he would join up with compatriots and Dodgers stars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in a brief statement on Instagram.
“I have signed a minor contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers,” Sasaki wrote on Instagram beneath a photo of a Dodgers baseball cap hanging on a seat at Dodger Stadium.
Photo: AFP
The race to snag Sasaki had become one of the dominant sub-plots of the baseball off-season with a slew of clubs in the hunt for the Chiba Lotte Marines and Japan star.
The Dodgers, the reigning World Series champions, had long been considered front-runners to secure Sasaski’s services, given their huge popularity in Japan due to the presence of superstar Ohtani and pitcher Yamamoto.
The New York Mets, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, Texas Rangers, San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays were all reported to have held meetings with the player and his managers.
US media reported last week that three clubs were left in the running to sign Sasaki — the Dodgers, the Padres and Blue Jays.
“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,” Sasaki wrote on Instagram.
A livewire righthander, Sasaki has become renowned as one of the most talented pitchers in world baseball with a fastball that routinely clocks 100mph or more.
He has a 29-15 win-loss record in his professional career in Japan, and pitched a perfect game in April 2022 where he hurled a record 13 consecutive strikeouts.
He was also a key part of Japan’s triumphant World Baseball Classic campaign last year, where Ohtani and Yamamoto were team-mates.
After letting another big lead slip with an error-strewn performance at the French Open on Wednesday, top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka felt like getting as far away from the courts as possible. “Just want to quit tennis right now,” Sabalenka said after wasting a lead of a set and two breaks in a 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 loss to Diana Shnaider in the women’s singles quarter-finals. “We’ll see in few days. Hopefully I’ll get back on track mentally.” Sabalenka’s wait for a first French Open title continues despite the four-time major winner leading 4-1 in the second set and being two points from victory while
BIG NAMES GONE: Zverev is the clear favorite for a maiden Grand Slam title, reaching semi-finals for the fifth time in six years and finishing second on three occasions Alexander Zverev on Tuesday breezed past Rafael Jodar to stay on course for an elusive Grand Slam title at the French Open, while Jakub Mensik halted Joao Fonseca’s scintillating run in the quarter-finals. Zverev, the highest-ranked player left in the men’s draw, put an end to Spanish teenager Jodar’s impressive Roland Garros debut, easing into the semi-finals with a 7-6, (7/3), 6-1, 6-3 win. The 29-year-old Zverev is the clear favorite for a maiden Grand Slam title. He has finished runner-up on three occasions, including at the 2024 French Open. “I want to win the matches that are ahead of
Liverpool are in advanced talks with former AFC Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola as they seek a replacement for Arne Slot, reports said on Tuesday. Iraola has emerged as Liverpool’s top target to replace Slot, who was sacked on Saturday last week after a turbulent second season in charge. Liverpool have reportedly agreed a deal in principle to bring the Spaniard, who left Bournemouth at the end of this season, to Anfield. Sporting director Richard Hughes was heavily involved in hiring Iraola during his time at Bournemouth and is again spearheading the recruitment of the highly rated coach. The Reds are
US President Donald Trump said he would attend Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Monday at Madison Square Garden, but said he does not have much sympathy for ordinary basketball fans who cannot afford sky-high ticket prices to do the same. “They can watch it on television,” Trump said aboard Air Force One on Friday as he flew to Wisconsin for an event with farmers, after he was asked about tickets that have climbed as high as US$8,000 each when the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs square off in Manhattan for the first time in the series. “It’s sorta
RSS