When Juan Soto signed with the New York Mets, leaving behind pinstripes—it was news. But the next big thing was when a plausible future Hall of Fame player, Roki Sasaki, signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. It added fuel to the fire and gave the Dodgers the ‘evil empire’ tag.

In fact, the whole “Dodgers is bad for baseball” really got amped up after this. But while fans and teams were voicing that the Dodgers are bad for baseball due to their spending habits, in reality, they didn’t really spend much for Sasaki. The Japanese phenom could have picked anyone, but he picked the Los Angeles Dodgers. And here is the harsh truth—money isn’t the only factor giving them an edge.

The elephant in the room is that Sasaki chose the Dodgers, despite having bigger offers from the San Diego Padres and Blue Jays, because of LA’s rep and position. And it’s what even Doug McKain from Dodgers Nation agrees with. McKain pointed out two main reasons in his podcast why Sasaki is with the Dodgers –  future opportunities and comfort.

Doug McKain pointed out that Roki Sasaki wanted to join the Dodgers because, “And I think a part of the reason why he did that was, one, it’s not about the money for Roki. There are sponsorship opportunities that will be available to him as a Dodger that wouldn’t be potentially for the Padres and the Blue Jays. And then, two, it’s the comfort factor.” And truer words couldn’t be spoken.

Sasaki just signed with LA for a $6.5 million bonus contract. He needs money and he has better chances to get it from sponsorships with the Dodgers. Plus, Japan’s sponsors are rooting for the Dodgers.

And let’s not forget the comfort. Because in Los Angeles Dodgers, Roki Sasaki won’t have to shoulder all the responsibilities. Like how Shohei Ohtani had to in the Angels.

Here, he has time to ease into the role. He is a rookie in MLB after all, and that too, from another country. As pointed out by McKain, it might be that Sasaki won’t have to open the season in Japan in 14 days. “I was told by someone from the organization yesterday that it’s not a lock. It’s not a lock he’s going to be getting a start.” But the Dodgers are, of course, trying to ensure he is ready for the opener.

Is Roki Sasaki ready for the season opener?

Now the last thing that Roki Sasaki wants is to struggle in his debut MLB season, right? Like 45,000 fans watching this new player who many call an upcoming star, and he falls flat is not what he wants. And it’s probably not what will happen too, given the way Roki Sasaki is performing.

He took the mound for the first time in spring training against the Cincinnati Reds during a Cactus League game. There, Sasaki delivered a strong performance, pitching three scoreless innings while allowing two hits, striking out five, and walking one. He threw a sum of 46 pitches, 26 of them for strikes. What control & command, right?

And after his debut, Sasaki hopped in to address the media and the fans at Camelback Ranch. Speaking to SportsNet LA, he said, “I felt really good about being able to block some hitters, and as long as I throw quality pitches, I should be able to get these guys out.” He is not usually expressive, but it seems like he is settling right in LA.

This performance has truly reinforced the expectations the Dodgers fans have of him.

Sasaki’s fastball and secondary pitches were effective, and his ability to generate those swings and misses just showcases his performance. The Dodgers do want to ease him into the system, but with a performance like this, it seems like he is already up and ready to go.

What do you think? Do you agree he is ready for an opener? Share your views with us!