The Dodgers were hated for spending millions, but the organization couldn't do the same with Sasaki. The Sasaki sweepstakes was not about money, but instead, was about team's giving a young, developing star their best pitch. Presentation was at the center of this offseason saga. Which organization could convince Sasaki theirs was the best in baseball? The Dodgers, San Diego Padres, and Toronto Blue Jays were the finalists in the race, but it was the reigning World Series champions that ultimately found favor.
Joel Wolfe, Sasaki's agent, spoke about the importance of pitching development in his client's search for a team. Sasaki joined the Dodgers, not because he would be their biggest star, but rather he believes the organization can help him emerge as the greatest pitcher to come out of Japan.
'He has talked about his desire to be the best pitcher in the world,' President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said at the Winter Meetings, 'and we believe he's capable of being the best pitcher in the world.' Last year, Friedman spoke about the organization becoming a pipeline for Japanese players like Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Collection
[
|
...
]