We don’t blame you, Roki Sasaki, if the Dodgers‘ favorite pup had greeted us, we would have chosen the Dodgers too! Sasaki was the most coveted player at one time, that is until LA snatched him. How did they do that? That’s a question Roki Sasaki still hasn’t answered but that does not prevent analysts and insiders from making speculations.  The latest one? Shohei Ohtani’s furry sidekick closed the deal for the young Japanese player.  

Of course, it is all in a lighthearted way, but the famous dog was present when Sasaki met with the team. Alongside players like Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, Will Smith, Tommy Edman, and Shohei Ohtani, Decoy was also an important member of the Dodgers team meeting Roki Sasaki. Lately, Decoy has been garnering a lot of love and attention from fans, and honestly, why wouldn’t he? The Kooikerhondje has been with the two-way phenom in most of the games showing his unwavering support. 

Did Shohei Ohtani bring his best friend Decoy to put his charms on Roki Sasaki?   

Maybe. It worked though, didn’t it? Roki Sasaki ultimately chose Los Angeles as his team. Ohtani was front and center in a meeting with Sasaki on Tuesday, and according to The Athletic crew—Fabian Ardaya, Dennis Lin, Patrick Mooney, Ken Rosenthal, and Will Sammon—he was leading the charge. The Dodgers pulled out all the stops in their pitch to Roki Sasaki—and they definitely weren’t holding back on the flair. With Dodger Stadium in the midst of its massive renovations, the meeting took place in a more intimate and relaxed setting: part-owner Peter Guber’s luxurious home in Bel Air. 

Picture this: a sushi chef preparing a meal right in front of Sasaki, as he lounges on the couch chatting with future teammates. The vibe was all about making him feel at home, with players even sending personalized video messages emphasizing the franchise’s family atmosphere and the excitement of joining a winning culture. And guess what? The pitch worked! Sasaki is now set to join an absolutely stacked Dodgers rotation alongside Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, and eventually Ohtani—talk about a dream team on the mound! 

What does the contract for the young Japanese pitcher look like?  

And just like that, one of the most interesting free agents of the offseason is officially a Dodger! Roki Sasaki, the Japanese pitching phenom everyone’s been buzzing about, has agreed to sign with L.A., and it’s a game-changer for the Dodgers’ already loaded rotation. Sasaki made the announcement himself via Instagram on Friday, and the team followed up with a release on Wednesday, confirming the deal.  The Japanese ace had until Thursday to sign with a Major League team after being posted by his Nippon Professional Baseball team, the Chiba Lotte Marines, and L.A. swooped in just in time.  

Here’s the kicker: because Sasaki is under 25, he’s considered an amateur international free agent, which means the Dodgers are getting six years of control over him, and he’ll be earning a rookie salary in 2025. On top of that, Sasaki secured a hefty $6.5 million signing bonus, per The Athletic. Roki Sasaki is also bringing a little bit of Japan with him. The young ace will wear No. 11 next season, the same number he’s sported throughout his career in honor of Yu Darvish, a five-time All-Star and a true icon back home.  

But here’s the cool part, No. 11 wasn’t just sitting vacant. It was previously worn by infielder Miguel Rojas. In a classy move, Rojas took to Instagram Thursday to announce that he’d be giving up the number for Sasaki, choosing instead to wear No. 72—the same number he wore when he first debuted for L.A. back in 2014. Talk about passing the torch. Rojas’s gesture is a nod to Sasaki’s potential and a sign of the respect he’s already commanding in the Dodgers’ clubhouse. It’s the start of a new era, and No. 11 is now officially Sasaki’s—no pressure!