Friedman: Sasaki will be 'major priority' for Dodgers

Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman acknowledged Tuesday that signing Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki this offseason will be a "major priority."

"He's incredibly talented," Friedman said, according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. "Really physical. Incredible carrying fastball. His split's a well above-average major-league pitch. He’s worked hard on a slider and it's a really good pitch. He has talked about his desire to be the best pitcher in the world and we believe that he is capable of being the best pitcher in the world."

Friedman understands the competition for Sasaki will be fierce since the right-hander is only eligible to ink a minor-league contract with a signing bonus because he's been posted under the age of 25.

"We're going to do whatever we can and know that there are a lot of other teams that are going to do the exact same thing," Friedman said. "So, what that ultimately means at the end, I don't know. But as long as we have thoughtfully put our best foot forward, then I feel good about at least the effort."

The Dodgers are considered by many around baseball as the favorite to land Sasaki because the team plays in a major market, is a consistent World Series threat, and employs Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. However, Sasaki's agent, Joel Wolfe, said Tuesday that a "smaller, mid-market team might be more beneficial for him as a soft landing."

Wolfe also publicly refuted speculation in late November that his client had a handshake agreement in place to join the Dodgers.

Sasaki's window to sign with an MLB team closes Jan. 23. He's expected to pick a new club when the bonus pools reset after Jan. 15.

The 23-year-old posted a 2.02 ERA with 0.88 WHIP and 524 strikeouts over 414 2/3 innings across five years with the Japan's Chiba Lotte Marines. He also helped his country win the 2023 World Baseball Classic.