Roki Sasaki’s introductory press conference:Taking one step closer his dream and goal.”It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to purely choose the place where I can grow the most as a player.”(there may be translation errors, but feel free to read it if you don’t mind!)

(It’s a little bit of an old article and the content has already been covered, but I thought the content was good[The information is wonderful organized.], so I decided to translate it. :)

https://column.sp.baseball.findfriends.jp/?pid=column_detail&id=002-20250210-01&from=top_photo4

Due to the current collective bargaining agreement between MLB and the players’ union, international players who are not subject to the draft and are under the age of 25 cannot sign a major league contract, meaning Sasaki will start on a minor league deal. Had he waited two more years until turning 25, he might have secured a record-breaking contract. However, he firmly stated, “There’s no guarantee of what condition I would be in two years from now. To me, the time I will spend over these next two years is more valuable than money.”

With determination, he added, “I want to compete in tough battles and earn my way to a major league contract.”

The 23-year-old right-hander, who boasts a fastball reaching 165 km/h (102.5 mph), pursued his MLB dream through the posting system and received interest from 20 teams. After careful consideration, he ultimately chose a prestigious organization.

“This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to purely choose the place where I can grow the most as a player. Over the past month, I’ve embraced and enjoyed every moment of this process. Choosing just one team was an incredibly difficult decision, but I believe the conclusion I reached is the best one. I want to move forward for the people who believe in my potential,” he declared.

During negotiations, Sasaki assigned “homework” to each team he met with. He asked them to analyze why his fastball velocity had declined last season and to present a plan to ensure it wouldn’t happen again. Explaining his reasoning, he said, “There wasn’t much difference in contract terms. Given the limited time, I wanted to understand each team’s thinking in more detail.”

While the Dodgers already have Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Sasaki said their presence didn’t influence his decision. “Overall, the Dodgers were the best choice. The biggest factor was the stability of the front office,” he stated.

He also prioritized the living environment, saying, “Whether a team has an existing Japanese player was less important than whether it had an environment that welcomes Japanese people.” The large Japanese community in Los Angeles made the city an attractive destination.

Los Angeles has been devastated by wildfires since early January. Sasaki, having experienced the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, reflected on his past. “I went through tough times myself, but I never lost sight of my goals and kept looking forward. Los Angeles is going through a difficult time right now, but as a member of the Dodgers starting today, I hope to move forward together with the people of Los Angeles.” Speaking slowly and with emotion, he expressed his determination.

Last offseason, Ohtani made headlines when he received the No. 17 jersey from Joe Kelly and gifted him a Porsche in return. Sasaki will wear No. 11, which belonged to veteran infielder and team leader Miguel Rojas last season. “I’m truly grateful to Rojas, who has such an accomplished career, for allowing me to wear his number. I haven’t decided what to give him yet, so I plan to discuss it with my teammates after I join the team,” he said with a smile.

The Dodgers have been scouting Sasaki’s pitching since he was at Ofunato High School in Iwate six years ago. GM Andrew Friedman, who has long been captivated by Sasaki’s potential, expressed high expectations: “His goal is likely to become the first Japanese player to win the Cy Young Award, and there’s no doubt he has the ability to make that dream a reality.”

Roki Sasaki Dodgers Introductory Press Conference – Excerpts

— Why did you decide to join the Dodgers?

Sasaki: Every team had its own appeal, but after many discussions, I determined that overall, the Dodgers were the best choice.

— The theme of the “homework” you assigned to teams was fastball velocity. Why did you do that?

Sasaki: Since there wasn’t much difference in contract terms, I wanted to better understand each team’s thinking in a more concrete way within the limited time we had.

— Did the presence of Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto influence your decision?

Sasaki: The biggest factor was the stability of the front office.

— How did Ohtani and Yamamoto react when you informed them of your decision?

Sasaki: They reached out to me via message. When I told them I would be joining the Dodgers, they welcomed me with a “Welcome to the team” kind of response.

— This is a major challenge for you in the big leagues.

Sasaki: Everything will be a new experience for me, and there will be many differences from NPB. But before that, I’m starting on a minor league contract, so my first goal is to work my way up through tough competition and earn a major league contract.

— How much did the presence of two Japanese players impact your decision?

Sasaki: The presence of Japanese players was not a key factor in my decision-making. That said, both Ohtani and Yamamoto are outstanding players, and there are many other great players on the team as well. While I’m excited about the possibility of playing alongside them, my priority is to reach the same stage first.

— You will be wearing No. 11.

Sasaki: I’m grateful to Rojas, who has an accomplished career, for allowing me to wear his number. However, I haven’t decided what to give him in return yet, so I’d like to discuss it with my teammates after I join the team.

— Los Angeles has a well-established Japanese community.

Sasaki: I didn’t place much importance on whether a team had Japanese players, but I did value whether the team had an environment that welcomes Japanese people. That mattered more to me than simply having Japanese players on the roster.

— What do you think you need to improve to succeed in the majors?

Sasaki: I think I need to improve in every area. The season is longer than in Japan, so I’ll have to work even harder to adapt.

— It has been said that your elbow injury played a role in your early decision to move to MLB.

Sasaki: Many people have said I could have waited two more years, but there’s no guarantee of what condition I’d be in by then. I decided that spending the next two years playing was more valuable to me than the money I might have earned by waiting.