The Los Angeles Dodgers won the Roki Sasaki sweepstakes, signing the 23-year-old right-hander to a rookie contract with a $6.5 million signing bonus. Sasaki would anchor most starting rotations for years to come, but on the Dodgers superteam he is just another star. Sasaki has holes in his game and should be considered a top-flight prospect, rather than a player like Ohtani or Yoshinobu Yamamoto, both of whom have already reached their primes.
That's much of what makes Sasaki exciting. He's one of the best young pitchers in the world, but he still has room to improve and develop. Sasaki chose between the Dodgers, Padres and Toronto Blue Jays, but was frequently connected to Los Angeles throughout the process and really every since the World Baseball Classic. Sasaki and Ohtani grew up in similar parts of Japan, and that connection carried the Dodgers over the finish line.
Just minutes before Sasaki was officially posted, Ohtani sent the Dodgers brass a three-word text message cementing the deal. “We got him," the text read.
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Roki Sasaki signing could gift the Dodgers an extra draft pick
As nauseating as the Sasaki chase was for those of us who don't root for the Dodgers, it could get even worse. Per MLB rules, Sasaki could even earn the Dodgers an extra draft pick since he is not yet 25 years old and eligible for the PPI program.
To be eligible for the PPI program, Sasaki must get a full year of service time this season and start the year ranked as one of the top-100 prospects in MLB. While Baseball America does not rank international prospects in their top-100, MLB and ESPN still do, which could make Sasaki PPI eligible. Then, if he either wins NL Rookie of the Year or finishes top-3 in NL Cy Young voting before he's arbitration-eligible, the Dodgers will earn a draft pick.
The Dodgers farm system and pitcher development program is one of the best in MLB. Even if Los Angeles did not have two of the best Japanese players in baseball in Ohtani and Yamamoto, they would've attracted Sasaki for those reasons alone. Los Angeles' scouting department is set up the right way, and does an impressive job attracting top talent.
It's an embarrassment of riches.