Mookie Betts gives reason why fellow Dodgers players stopped by to show their support for Roki Sasaki in Spring Training

The Los Angeles Dodgers signed arguably the most coveted asset in free agency this year: Roki Sasaki. The 23-year-old Japanese phenom was considered the best available pitcher by many, and the team showed up to watch him pitch in spring training.

Front office executives, coaches, players and more stopped to watch Sasaki throw a bullpen in spring training because he's the player they all coveted so dearly and were able to sign in January.

Via USA Today, Mookie Betts said:

“He’s a guy everyone wanted, so he’s why everyone’s going to watch him."

Reporter Bob Nightengale echoed the idea that Sasaki is the guy to watch:

"No one is predicting that Sasaki is going to go out and win the Cy Young award his rookie season, but you can’t find anyone who doesn't see future stardom."

He was highly coveted by MLB teams because he's an international free agent with cost restrictions. His signing was more like Shohei Ohtani's first contract with the Los Angeles Angels than Yoshinobu Yamamoto's $325 million deal with the Dodgers last year.

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Roki Sasaki's bullpen encourages Dodgers brass

Roki Sasaki threw a bullpen after Shohei Ohtani, and it had a lot of the Dodgers brass very excited. This was the player they worked so hard to get, and he showed up.

Roki Sasaki threw a good bullpen session (Imagn)

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was very pleased with how the young pitcher looked and how he might be when facing live hitters. He said, via USA Today:

“I thought Roki was good. Velocity looked good. I thought there’s a lot of chase with his split mixed in some breaking balls."

Roberts said he believes Sasaki is quickly adjusting to life in the MLB instead of the NPB:

“Talking to our pitching guys, we were pretty pleased with the outing. ... He’s getting really acclimated to Major League Baseball. He’s in a good spot."

The tentative plan is for the Dodgers to roll out Yoshinobu Yamamoto and then Roki Sasaki in the two-game Japan trip to take on the Chicago Cubs before the regular season begins in America.

That would save Blake Snell for the home opener on March 27 back in the USA against the Detroit Tigers and reigning AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal.