The Los Angeles Dodgers are equipped with MLB's deepest farm system and a bottomless checkbook, which gives their front office uncommon freedom. Most teams would never consider trading a 24-year-old pitcher with Rōki Sasaki's international pedigree and limitless talent, but the Dodgers are staring at a six-man rotation in which Sasaki is, for now, somehow the weakest link.
A dominant postseason in the closer's role offered us a reminder of just how good Sasaki can become, but it's worth remember that his rookie season was overall a mixed bag. The Dodgers are all-in on the present and could, ultimately, view Sasaki as a means to an end if the right pitching upgrade becomes available. Los Angeles won't trade him for any old starter, but if an established, Cy Young-type arm hits the market, the Dodgers have the means to beat any other offers. Here are a few pitchers Sasaki could actually end up in trade conversations for, hypothetically speaking.
RHP Logan Webb, San Francisco Giants
Logan Webb is under contract through 2028 at well below market value, in keeping with his perpetually underrated status. The fourth-place finisher in NL Cy Young voting this past season, it's not like Webb is unappreciated. And yet, when it comes time to debate the best pitchers in baseball, too often Webb's name falls by the wayside.
The San Francisco Giants ace made 34 starts last season, with 224 strikeouts in 207 innings pitched. He has led the National League in innings, with over 200 per season, for three straight years. That alone renders Webb incredibly valuable. He's also an elite ground ball pitcher who maintains a healthy strikeout rate, able to get significant mileage out of his changeup and sweeper despite seldom reaching the mid-90s on the radar gun with his sinker.
Last season was hellish injury-wise for the Dodgers pitching staff. A workhorse of Webb's caliber would do a lot to stabilize what it already, on paper, the best rotation in MLB. San Francisco would never trade Webb to Los Angeles without a dramatic return package. Prying Sasaki out of L.A., establishing the Giants in the Japanese market and claiming five years of cheap club control over one of baseball's most dynamic young arms might satisfy San Francisco, especially if another season goes south.
RHP Hunter Greene, Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds' pitching depth and subsequent offensive shortcomings put Hunter Greene in the rumor mill earlier this offseason. There was no real chance of the Reds actually trading him, of course, as Greene is 26 years old and locked up through 2029 at an extremely affordable price. In a market that makes attracting external star power almost impossible, homegrown phenoms like Greene are virtually indispensable.
That said, if the Reds were to see Sasaki's name come across their desk, with the right package of young bats from L.A.'s farm system, it at least becomes a conversation. Sasaki's rookie season was a mixed bag, but in terms of pure stuff, there aren't many better arms in MLB. Once he locks in command-wise, Sasaki ought to take off into the stratosphere. Cincy develops their pitchers well and would no doubt love to get a pitcher whose ceiling may even eclipse Greene's, if all breaks right. The Japanese market is a factor, too. The Reds won't get a marquee international free agent to sign in Cincinnati of their own volition. That's just a fact. Trading for Sasaki at least gets their foot in the door.
Greene put up a 2.76 ERA with 132 strikeouts in 107.2 innings last season, limited to 19 starts due to injury. Durability has been a concern early in Greene's career, especially with how hard he throws, but the talent is undeniable and he'd raise the immediate ceiling of this Dodgers rotation substantially.
RHP Hunter Brown, Houston Astros
If not Hunter Greene, Hunter Brown ought to appeal to Los Angeles in this realm of hypothetical. The Houston Astros shouldn't really want or need to trade Brown, who's just entering his first year of arbitration, but the team has shown a recent willingness to get out in front of future expenses — such as trading Kyle Tucker before he could leave as a free agent. The Astros have a bit more time with Brown, who's essential to the current makeup of their roster. But if a 24-year-old with Sasaki's talent enters the equation, it could be enough to start a dialogue.
This is why L.A.'s impossibly deep farm system puts them at such an advantage. The Dodgers will always spend on the best available free agents to keep the MLB roster well-stocked. Meanwhile, their pipeline is deep enough that sacrificing Sasaki and a few other top-10 prospects for Brown would hardly put a dent in their future outlook.
Brown put it all together in his fourth MLB season, finishing third to Tarik Skubal and Garrett Crochet in AL Cy Young voting. His profile is basically bulletproof: He's a strikeout machine with upper-90s velo, a newly minted and highly effective sinker, a couple violent off-speed offerings and plus command of all his pitches. The 27-year-old's breakout looks and feels real. And yet, if the Dodgers throw enough at them, Houston's front office might not have a choice but to consider it.
LHP Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers
Tarik Skubal's expiring contract is a complicating factor, but he's good enough for L.A. to consider offering up Sasaki even for one season. If it reaches that point, the Detroit Tigers would be irresponsible not to listen. For as dominant as Skubal is, the Framber Valdez signing gives the top of Detroit's rotation a bit more stability. Compare the value of one season with Skubal to a five-year window with Sasaki, plus whatever else L.A. tosses into a deal, and it could be too tempting for Detroit to pass up.
All signs point to Skubal beginning (and probably finishing) the season in Detroit, but the Tigers have to know he's gone in a year. Skubal's $32 million arbitration victory only puts more pressure on the front office to act. Not only is it a number Detroit clearly did not want to pay, but it's a stark example of just how valuable Skubal is: If he's getting $32 million in arbitration, against Detroit's wishes, how can the Tigers hope to match the $40 million-plus he's bound to receive annually on the open market? They cannot. They will not.
The Dodgers can be more confident than most teams in their ability to re-sign Skubal, a SoCal native, which should embolden their pursuit. Los Angeles shied away from long-term money this winter, but high AAVs are no problem, and Skubal is good enough to get Los Angeles to offer up a career-spanning deal. Sasaki should benefit from Detroit's developmental ecosystem and a less pressurized environment, not to mention the pitcher-friendly confines of Comerica Park.
Paul Skenes
To their credit, the Pittsburgh Pirates made a genuine effort to improve the roster this winter. Failed runs at Kyle Schwarber and Framber Valdez were predictable, but the Buccos added Brandon Lowe and Ryan O'Hearn to a power-starved lineup, with 19-year-old phenom Konnor Griffin also a candidate to crack the Opening Day roster. There's a world in which Pittsburgh is a legitimate Wild Card threat this season.
If the Pirates fail to take that next step, however, the chorus of speculation around Paul Skenes' future will only grow louder. Skenes has made it clear that he wants to pitch for a winner. Pittsburgh has four more years of club control left, but the clock is already ticking. And if the team wants to upgrade its lineup without breaking the bank, trading Skenes would net them a potentially historic return package.
The Dodgers are the team best positioned to pique Pittsburgh's interest if push comes to shove. The idea of Skenes, also from SoCal, pitching for the Dodgers feels almost like prophecy. L.A. will be the favored landing spot whenever he hits the market. Right now, entering his age-24 season and with plenty of cheap control left, will be the highest Skenes' value ever gets. Even if it's in a midseason trade, the Dodgers wouldn't think twice about trading Sasaki. And Pittsburgh should get plenty of bats in addition to Sasaki, making this a potentially transformative deal for both teams.