Ever since Roki Sasaki has been linked to MLB, he has been in the news. At first, he was linked to the Yankees then the Padres but ended up with the Los Angeles Dodgers. This move not only came as a surprise as Yu Darvish, his Japanese teammate, was reported to have influenced Roki Sasaki to come to the Padres. But it turned out that Shohei Ohtani and Yamamoto were also doing the same. But Yu Darvish does not have any hard feelings and has moved on.

Roki Sasaki’s journey has been a good one in Japan. But there were a few injury concerns that started at the end of the 2023 season of Nippon Professional Baseball. The Japanese Flame Thrower did make 15 appearances but was injured for some time in the league. Now that he has signed for the Dodgers, the workload will likely be more. But the serious question is if Roki Sasaki can handle it. And when asked about this to Yu Darvish this is what he said. He said, “I think there is going to be… He is going to be he’ll have pitch number control, they are going to develop him in the way they would here so from my standpoint I just wish that he would be able to stay healthy and get through the season.”

Darvish says that after the Dodgers have signed him, they will try to develop him as they develop players in the USA. This will not only benefit Roki Sasaki to have a long career in the MLB but also a strong one. However, according to Yu Darvish, Sasaki has to stay injury-free. If this happens he will be a world-class pitcher and might even outperform Yu Darvish. This shows that Roki Sasaki is a very talented player and being surrounded by players like Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto will only help him settle in the MLB smoother.

Dodgers’ acquisition of Roki Sasaki: A game-changer for MLB

The Dodgers made some of the best signings in the club’s history this offseason. And the signing of Roki Sasaki was a historical one. With star pitchers around him like Blake Snell, Shohei Ohtani, and Tyler Glasnow will help him get into the groove easily. His choosing of the Dodgers over all the other teams involved shows how good the Dodgers are at developing international talent.

Roki Sasaki has been simply unstoppable in Japan. He has carried a minor league 2.10 ERA into the big leagues with 505 strikeouts in 394.2 innings. Teams can see from his performance that he is quite ready for the major leagues. His presence will instantly impact the Dodgers’ pitching staff. Using his ability, he may be able to carry the team’s pitching to great heights. Sasaki’s presence may even catapult the Dodgers’ rotation into the realm of legends.

Fans are now more than ever anticipating what he would bring to the table for MLB. Adding this to the team, the Dodgers are heading straight to becoming one of the greatest rotations that ever existed in baseball. The start of their pitching rotation can be one of the most well-rounded groups to exist in the history of the MLB. Even if you are not a Dodgers fan, you cannot ignore how crammed that pitching staff is going to be.

The Dodgers have certainly turned heads this offseason, pulling off some bold moves that have sparked a lot of conversation. The latest Roki Sasaki signing has shown LA is not one to be stingy with its wallet. The team is really building a powerhouse roster with heavy investments. It’s being likened to the ’90s Yankees by fans and critics, and some have even called the Dodgers the “new Evil Empire” because of their deep pockets and hunger for success. GM Brandon Gomes has not been cryptic about what the strategy is: gather the best team for the fans.

However, even with this plethora of stars, he does admit that throwing all of these quality players together does not mean he will win a championship. The playoffs can be quite unpredictable, and sometimes the very best get surprised. While the Dodgers are preparing to make a legitimate run, it is hard to tell how this will play out when October hits. However, it is definitely clear that they are in there to win, no matter the cost.