[NOTES on a SCORECARD] Roki Sasaki Joining Dodgers Creates Cause for Concern

The recent decision by Roki Sasaki to join the Los Angeles Dodgers was greeted with joy in Japan and in Southern California. In many other places, not so much.

The Dodgers' seemingly endless stockpiling of talent, usually via exorbitant salaries, is rubbing many in the baseball community the wrong way. That said, the 23-year-old Sasaki's case was different, because he did not command a large salary (a minor league contract and a $6.5 million USD, or nearly ¥990 million JPY, signing bonus) due to his standing as an international non-free agent signee.

Nevertheless, for the third time in a row, the Dodgers have signed a top Japanese star that was highly coveted by almost all MLB teams. Regardless of what you think, it is not a good look for MLB.

There was so much concern about the bidding process for Sasaki, that MLB conducted an investigation beforehand to determine if the fix was in for the Dodgers to get the prized hurler. MLB found no wrongdoing on the part of the reigning World Series champions, but the result of the process has done little to quell suspicions among fans.

The final three teams in the hunt for the former Chiba Lotte Marines star were said to be the Dodgers, San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays. But Sasaki's decision on January 22 came as little surprise.

MLB Insider Analyzes the Aftermath of the Deal

ESPN's Jeff Passan crystalized the vibe that followed Sasaki's choice in a piece published on January 23.

"The anger ― from disillusioned fans, from dispirited front offices, from owners made to look as if they don't care ― is very real," Passan wrote. "And it's growing to the point that people at the highest levels of Major League Baseball acknowledge it concerns them. Most worrisome is the rhetoric that fans are done with the game. That what LA is doing is unfair. That the financial imbalance ruins the sport.

"A villain around which people can rally is tolerable; an unbeatable monolith is not," Passan continued. "An exemplar for how teams can operate is instructive; an extinguishing of hope is not. With every transaction pushing the Dodgers further from the former and more toward the latter, MLB faces growing cynicism that has reignited calls for a salary cap ― and made collective bargaining discussions set to start a year from now, before the current basic agreement expires following the 2026 season, that much more fraught with peril."

Concerns About a Backlash from Fans of Other Teams

Indeed, when you have won 11 of the last 12 National League West division titles, and continually spend money like a drunken sailor, people start to become suspicious about whether their teams really have a legitimate chance.

Without a salary cap, there is nothing stopping the Dodgers from continuing their wildly spending ways for years to come. That may be fine for supporters of the LA powerhouse, but it risks those backing the other 29 MLB teams from losing interest in the sport.

While Japanese fans are understandably excited about Sasaki's decision, I have concerns that at some point there may be an anti-Japanese backlash from rival fans. That would be unfortunate. But if MLB lets the Dodgers' continuing acquisition of top NPB stars go unchecked, it could very well happen.

Will Roki Sasaki Live Up to the Hype?

Whether Sasaki excels at the MLB level is yet to be decided, but there is also a school of thought that he took the easy way out by joining Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the Dodgers. It was almost as if he was reluctant to go out and stake his own claim with a different MLB club.

There have been concerns about Sasaki's durability during his relatively short pro career, which could be an issue against the bigger, stronger MLB batters in a longer season.

I remember well all of the hype that preceded Hideki Irabu joining the New York Yankees back in 1997. The big man was not able to live up to the expectations and went on to have a mediocre MLB career.

Time will tell if Sasaki pans out or not, but the reality is that the entire affair surrounding his recruitment has left a bad taste in the mouths of many, and a fair amount of people are hoping he does not succeed.

Ohtani Expected to Begin Pitching in May

In other Dodgers news, Shohei Ohtani and manager Dave Roberts have indicated that the superstar could begin pitching in May following his second surgery on his right elbow.

"I think that's about right, and it might be earlier," Roberts was quoted as saying at the team's recent DodgerFest for fans in Los Angeles.

"The first thing I said earlier this offseason was it's not going to be in the Japan series (the Dodgers and Chicago Cubs will play regular-season games on March 18 and 19 at Tokyo Dome)," Roberts stated.

"He's not going to be pitching there, but once he gets to spring training and we see where the throwing program is, I think we'll just go from there."

Commenting at DodgerFest about his injury during the 2024 World Series, Ohtani said, "The schedule of how things will progress will depend on the kind of injury I sustained in the shoulder. But as of now, it seems like I'm on schedule. I've been able to work out every day and I'm really looking forward to being on time in spring training and for the season."

Japanese Slugger Sasaki to Make Collegiate Debut

Stanford University freshman Rintaro Sasaki is set to make his debut with the Cardinal during their four-game series away to Cal State Fullerton beginning on February 14.

The left-handed slugging first baseman, who set a Japan high school record by clouting a staggering 140 home runs during his prep career, is a product of Hanamaki Higashi High School, the same Iwate Prefecture institution that produced Ohtani and fellow MLB pitcher Yusei Kikuchi.

Sasaki, 19, chose to bypass the NPB Draft in 2023 for Stanford. By doing so, he chose a potential quicker path to MLB and garnered a fair amount of publicity on both sides of the Pacific for the move.

The 125-kg Sasaki should make his home debut at Stanford's Sunken Diamond on February 21 against the University of Washington in the opener of a four-game series.

RELATED:

• [JAPAN SPORTS NOTEBOOK] Pitching Sensation Roki Sasaki to Join the Dodgers
• [NOTES on a SCORECARD] Shohei Ohtani Being Passed Over for SI's 2024 Sportsperson of Year Hard to Understand
• [ODDS and EVENS] Teenager Rintaro Sasaki Exhibits Talent in the MLB Draft League

Author: Jack Gallagher

The author is a veteran sports journalist and one of the world's foremost figure skating experts. Find articles and podcasts by Jack on his author page, and find him on X (formerly Twitter) @sportsjapan.