Los Angeles Dodgers Have Potentially A Big Value In Rookie Roki Sasaki

Pitcher Roki Sasaki is not only a rookie, but he could also be the Los Angeles Dodgers’ best bargain.

Sasaki gets his first major-league start on Wednesday in game two of the Tokyo Series against the Chicago Cubs. The prized off-season acquisition for the Dodgers has top-of-the-rotation stuff, but the right-hander lands on the lower end of L.A.’s league-high $306 million payroll.

If Sasaki is on his game similar to when becoming a star in Japan, the Dodgers will have gotten him on the cheap.

With a roster loaded with well-compensated players, it’s almost laughable that Sasaki, 23, was signed for a $6.5 million bonus and begins his career on a minor-league deal. He’s designated as an international amateur and that means millions in savings for the cash-rich Dodgers.

Sasaki was handcuffed in how much he could command when leaving the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball.

If a player exits NPB before age 25, much like when superstar Shohei Ohtani, then-23, signed with the Los Angeles Angels, he comes at a discount.

So despite the 6-foot-4 Sasaki possessing an arsenal which includes a fastball that tickles the century mark and a killer splitter, the Dodgers feel as if they found a gem at a garage sale.

L.A. is in position to pay Sasaki the league minimum for his first two seasons, $760,000 this year and $780,000 in 2026. The Dodgers could sweeten his deal as a goodwill gesture, but not by much.

By comparison, right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 25, wasn’t under financial restraints when signing with the Dodgers in 2024 because of his age.

The difference?

Yamamoto collected a 12-year, $325 million pact, the richest deal in major-league history for a player that is exclusively a pitcher. That payday included a $50 million bonus and average annual salary of $27 million, according to Spotrac.

Sasaki, like Ohtani, left millions of dollars on the table by switching sides of the Pacific Ocean before blowing out 25 candles. That speaks to their desire to compete at baseball’s highest level, with the anticipation of making up that money as their careers mature.

It worked for Ohtani as he became the highest-paid player in baseball history with his 10-year, $700 million deal in 2024. His star power is also proven by the $60 million he earned in endorsements last year, which was No. 1 among athletes.

When Sasaki decided that he wanted to play in the majors, 20 teams recruited him. The combination of his skills and affordability made it a no-brainer to seek someone seemingly destined to be an ace.

Now the time has arrived for Sasaki to prove it in the majors, a dream which started when he was young.

“I thought about this since I was in school,’’ Sasaki said through an interpreter. “But me back then would never have expected to be making my debut at the Tokyo Dome.’’

The jitters for Sasaki, who was sensational in spring training in his run-up to his first outing, have arrived like the energy that these games are generating.

The fans have flowed with enthusiasm and it’ll be electric when Sasaki, a key contributor when Japan won the World Baseball Classic in 2023, takes the mound.

“The crowds have been massive and the atmosphere has been fantastic,’’ Sasaki said. “But with each day, the tension mounts towards the day I pitch. I hope I can erase any worries and be ready.’’

On the financial side, the Dodgers have little to fret about when it comes to Sasaki.

They set sail on defending their world championship with baseball biggest payroll, and just maybe, its biggest bargain.