Roki Sasaki announces he's joining Dodgers by following Shohei Ohtani blueprint

The Dodgers already had successes to show for their offseason by the time Roki Sasaki was officially posted as an amateur international free agent. They'd added a seventh starter to their roster in two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell, and they signed Michael Conforto and re-signed Blake Treinen on the first night of Winter Meetings.

During the 45-day window Sasaki had to sign, the Dodgers went about their business and re-added Teoscar Hernández and signed KBO star Hye-seong Kim to further cement their juggernaut status, and there's still reason to believe that they'll acquire or sign a closer before spring training begins.

Despite all of those moves, Andrew Friedman called Sasaki a "priority" for the Dodgers. Of course, it wasn't going to be easy; with Sasaki unable to make top dollar on the free agent market, two-thirds of the league approached his agent Joel Wolfe to request meetings and try to state their cases. In the end, it came down to the Dodgers, Padres, and Blue Jays, with all three getting a second in-person meeting with him as time ran short.

Things whittled down even further on Friday morning, as the Padres were reportedly told they were out on Sasaki and prepared to sign two other international prospects.

That left the Dodgers and Blue Jays, but it really just left the Dodgers. Per SASAKI HIMSELF, they emerged victorious from the sweepstakes and will add yet another coveted starting pitcher to their impossible rotation. He announced the move on Instagram, in much the same way Shohei Ohtani did last December.

Roki Sasaki signs with Dodgers after heated three-team battle in free agency

If the Dodgers weren't already the most hated team in baseball, Sasaki's signing gets them over that line easily. With him in the rotation, the Dodgers will have eight viable starters at some point in the season, after Clayton Kershaw and Shohei Ohtani are cleared to pitch again (presumably late-summer for Kershaw, May for Ohtani). Those eight starters include a future Hall of Famer, a two-time Cy Young winner, the face of baseball, and one of NPB's most decorated pitchers. No wonder Sasaki chose LA.

This way, the Dodgers might actually get that six-man rotation they were hoping for throughout all of 2024, but could never get, with all of the injuries that inflicted the pitching staff. This time around, they may have a bonafide Rookie of the Year candidate on their hands, and the rotation is absolutely stacked to the brim with top talent for years to come.