Prized Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki says on Instagram post he intends to sign with Los Angeles Dodgers

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He plans on signing with the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

In a move which many baseball executives had long anticipated.

The Padres and Blue Jays were said to be competing with each other to sign Sasaki, with him having until the following Thursday to finalize a contract.

I've officially signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers," Sasaki's post read, in Japanese. "It was a tough choice, but I'm confident my decision is the right one. Looking back on my baseball career, I believe this was the correct path for me. At my news conference to announce joining the team, I'm excited to wear my Dodgers uniform and express my gratitude to everyone who's been supporting me.

For a 45-day window, the Chiba Lotte Marines of Japan's Pacific League posted Shohei Ohtani to MLB under the posting agreement between Nippon Professional Baseball and MLB, although he will be going by the name Sasaki since 2022. However, Sasaki is still considered an international amateur by MLB due to being under 25 and not having six years of service time in NPB, which limits him to a minor league contract subject to the signing pools.

The Marines are set to receive 25% of Sasaki's signing bonus, paid out as a release fee.

During a recent news conference at the winter meetings, Sasaki's agent, Joel Wolfe, said that a deal with the Dodgers was not already finalized. Wolfe mentioned that Major League Baseball had conducted an investigation.

“There was a lot of discussion in the media, in the league, in NPB about Roki’s situation,” Wolfe said. “A lot of false accusations and allegations were made - things like predetermined deals and unfair advantages. However, Major League Baseball took the right step by making sure this would be a fair competition for everyone involved, so they thoroughly interviewed many parties ahead of time to ensure fairness.”

Sasaki had an impressive track record last year, with 10 wins and 5 losses and a stellar 2.35 ERA in 18 games. He also struck out 129 batters in just 111 innings pitched, despite being limited by a shoulder injury. In 2023, he continued to shine with a 7-4 record and a 1.78 ERA in 15 starts, despite being hampered by an oblique injury. Throughout his career with the Marines, Sasaki has a remarkable 29-15 win-loss record and a 2.10 ERA over four seasons. Notably, he achieved a perfect game against the Orix in April 2022, highlighting his skill and dominance on the mound.

On March 18 and 19.