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On Thursday it was reported that Roki Sasaki would be joining the rotation that includes Blake Snell, Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Tyler Glasnow. He and the Los Angeles Dodgers agreed to a minor-league contract with a $8.2 million signing bonus.
The Dodgers' rotation was already elite with the expectation that Ohtani would return to pitching in 2025. Now, the club has a juggernaut starting rotation that will strike fear into opposing hitters.
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Sasaki's newest teammate, Blake Snell, could not be happier that Sasaki decided to join the Dodgers. He could not help but share his excitement on his Instagram story.
"Let's go!" said Snell.
Snell also recently signed with the Dodgers this offseason. He and the club agreed to a five-year, $182 million deal back in November.
What this team has done over the last two offseasons has been nothing short of impressive. Most may not push as hard as they did this offseason after winning the World Series, but this team wants to be a dynasty.
Could Roki Sasaki be the Dodgers' Opening Day starter?
The Dodgers have a ton of pitchers to choose from to open up their season. They start the year off against the Chicago Cubs on March 18 in Tokyo, Japan.
Shohei Ohtani is not expected to be the club's Opening Day starter as manager Dave Roberts does not want to rush him back. They do not want to start Ohtani too early where he cannot finish the season on the mound.
So, could the club give the ball to Roki Sasaki? They could, but it would put a ton of pressure on the youngster, kicking off the season with all eyes on him.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto could be a better option here. He was solid in his first year in the MLB, posting a 7-2 record with a 3.00 ERA across 18 starts.
However, some inside the industry believe the Dodgers could give the ball to Blake Snell to open up their season. Snell went 5-3 with the San Francisco Giants last season after getting a late start. He should come into the new season with a chip on his shoulder.
Whoever the Dodgers decide to turn to should be a good option. It will be interesting to see who gets the ball first to kick off the new season.
