Report: Roki Sasaki Faced Unique Question From Teams During Free Agency

January 24, 2025 ,

During his free agency meetings, Japanese pitching sensation Rōki Sasaki faced a basketball related question from multiple teams, as reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan. 

Interested clubs asked whether Sasaki envisioned himself following the career path of Michael Jordan or Kevin Durant, probing whether he wanted to build a championship team from the ground up like Jordan with the Chicago Bulls or join an established powerhouse as Durant did with the Golden State Warriors. 

Sasaki ultimately chose to join the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, a team stacked with talent, including Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, and Mookie Betts. 

After a 98-win season and a title, the Dodgers further bolstered their rotation with Sasaki, alongside the additions of Blake Snell and reliever Tanner Scott. 

Despite interest from top contenders like the New York Yankees, Mets, San Francsico Giants, and Toronto Blue Jays, Sasaki's decision to join Los Angeles greatly strengthens their bid for back-to-back championships and adds to their already dominant roster.

Sasaki was dominant in Nippon Professional Baseball, including a 2.35 ERA and 129 strikeouts over 111 innings in 2024.

Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

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