When Roki Sasaki announced he was signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Colorado Rockies manager Bud Black reacted just liike the rest of us.

The Los Angeles Dodgers were always the favorites to sign Roki Sasaki, but it wasn't because there was a deal already in place like many critics speculated.

The Dodgers have announced their deal with prized Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki, agreeing to a minor league contract with a $6.5 million signing bonus.

At his age and talent level, Sasaki folds in perfectly for a Dodgers club that was already planning on running a six-man rotation.

Although Roki Sasaki seemed destined for the Los Angeles Dodgers from the beginning, his agent Joel Wolfe believed the Japanese phenom could have easily wound up joining another team.

Prized Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki says in an Instagram post he intends to sign with the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

Sasaki's nickname is a tribute to legendary Japanese starting pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, who was known as the "Monster of the Heisei," referring to different eras of the Japanese calendar. The 23-year-old lost both his father and grandfather during the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.

The 23-year-old Japanese phenom has a fastball that regularly reaches triple digits and wowed MLB scouts at the World Baseball Classic in 2023.

Ohtani sent a text to Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman even before Sasaki’s agent informed the club.

Japanese sensation Roki Sasaki has joined the Los Angeles Dodgers, sparking speculation about other top-tier players from Japan potentially making their way to MLB. The MLB offseason has been dominated by two headline-making moves: Juan Soto signing a record-breaking $765 million deal with the New York Mets and Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki joining the Los Angeles Dodgers.