The Los Angeles Dodgers have won another offseason.
Roki Sasaki, the prize gem of the pitching winter, has finally made his long-awaited MLB decision and signed to terms with the Dodgers.
Sasaki’s offseason has been unique, with his ‘unspecified homework assignment,’ foreign bonus pool restrictions, and now a massive offer rejected down.
Los Angeles usually offers the most money, but due to international pool rules, they were only allowed to offer roughly $6 million for the right-hander.
Even with that offer, the Dodgers needed to make a deal to get rid of Dylan Campbell, a fourth-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft with some promise. The 22-year-old cut.In 115 games at High-A last year, he hit 251/.331/.372, with 10 home runs and 53 runs batted in.
Los Angeles was at a financial disadvantage when it attempted to sign Sasaki. The decision has to be based on critical conversations with current players, the winning culture in Los Angeles, and the 23-year-old’s knowledge of his future prospects in Hollywood.
In terms of money, San Diego had the advantage.
To quote The Athletic, “The Padres told Sasaki’s group that they were prepared to trade to max out their bonus pool, according to a league source, and offer the Japanese pitcher the entire sum [of their bonus pool], a little more than $10 million.”
More news: What Does the Dodgers’ Rotation Look Like With Roki Sasaki and Shohei Ohtani?
According to The Athletic, the Toronto Blue Jays, Sasaki’s third-place finisher, attempted a similar technique. Not for $10 million, but “By Friday morning, the Blue Jays were still trying to manoeuvre and demonstrate their willingness to move forward, finalizing a trade with the Cleveland Guardians for $2 million in international bonus pool space.”
“They did so even though the move required them to take on most of what’s left on Myles Straw’s contract, $11.8 million.”
Despite being outbid, the Dodgers acquired a superstar pitcher to add to their already stacked rotation. Sasaki went 10-5 with a 2.35 ERA last season, striking out 129 batters and walking only 32 in 111 innings.
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