Reactions To Roki Sasaki Choosing The Dodgers Have Been Completely Absurd
The Los Angeles Dodgers did it again on Friday afternoon, as prized starting pitcher Roki Sasaki announced he was joining the defending World Series Champions for the next six seasons.
Sasaki is 23-years-old, was dominant in his four seasons in the Japanese baseball league, and will be playing for well below market salaries for the first six years of his career. Virtually every organization in baseball wanted to sign him, with 20 teams submitting materials to him and his agent after he was posted. But like a number of free agents over the past year, he chose the Dodgers anyway.
And fans, and even some baseball commentators, are having a temper tantrum about it.
Jim Bowden, a former general manager who wrote several articles for The Athletic in the leadup to Sasaki's decision saying he'd been told by GM's that Sasaki was unlikely to pick the Dodgers, now claims, per an appearance on the "Foul Territory" show, that other teams will be asking for an investigation because they believe in a "pre-cut deal between the Dodgers and Sasaki.
So, for the last year, Bowden reported that the other MLB GM's thought Sasaki wouldn't want to play in LA. Now that he's signed, they want an investigation?
As insane as that is, it's the least of the absurdity running rampant on social media.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 20: Roki Sasaki #14 of Team Japan pitches in the first inning against Team Mexico during the World Baseball Classic Semifinals at loanDepot park on March 20, 2023 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)
Roki Sasaki Signing Has Obliterated Last Shreds Of Sense Among MLB Fans
There's a long, long list of unhinged takes on the Sasaki signing floating around on X, with some saying they wish "nothing but the worst for Roki Sasaki's career."
Dalton Feely, part of the Jomboy Media company, said he became the "Kevin Durant of baseball without throwing an MLB pitch," just a few days after predicting that Sasaki would choose the Padres.
Other fans are rooting for Sasaki to get Tommy John surgery.
A local television director and radio show host in San Diego said it was "one of the all-time unpopular decisions by an athlete."
Others displayed a profound ignorance as to the details of the Sasaki signing, saying baseball needs a "salary cap asap."
"Baseball died," said deranged Padres fans, unable to accept that Shohei Ohtani was a victim and that his contract was perfectly legal and within MLB's rules.
Other fans went after moderately positive posts about the Dodgers by saying that they've now made MLB "unwatchable," because we "already know how it ends every year," and that there's "no competitive balance at all."
That's just a sampling of the absurd response to the Sasaki news, and it's a testament to how little fans actually understand baseball and how short their memories are.
Just a few months ago, the narrative around the Dodgers was that they were postseason chokers with one "Mickey Mouse ring" in 2020. A ring that didn't actually count, they said. When Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto signed in the 2023-2024 offseason, the general reaction was "the Dodgers are spending a billion dollars just to lose in the first round again."
Now, after they overcame their postseason demons in 2024, there's "no competitive balance" and "MLB is unwatchable."
The San Francisco Giants won three championships in five years from 2010-2014, with zero complaints that the sport was too predictable. The Boston Red Sox won four times between 2004 and 2018, with zero complaints that they were making baseball look too easy.
Still, from 2014-2024, there's been exceptional parity in MLB, with nine different teams winning the World Series. Now after the 2024 offseason we "know how it ends every year" because the Dodgers signed Roki Sasaki. Sure.
Sasaki chose Los Angeles not because they offered him the most money; the Blue Jays could have given him more, for example. He chose the Dodgers because of their location, successful track record, history of player development and the ease of transition to a new country thanks to Ohtani and Yamamoto. Even Ohtani offered the same deferred contract to every team interested in signing him. The Giants and Blue Jays accepted it, and he chose the Dodgers anyway, for many of the same reasons as Sasaki. Yamamoto got a similar offer from the Mets and Yankees and chose the Dodgers too.
Players are choosing to play in Los Angeles because they've built the strongest and most consistent organization in baseball. That's it. Other teams could try to replicate it, but few do, because owners are content to pile up profits and complain about their market size. The Marlins have spent effectively zero dollars in free agency this season, and the Pirates are following up a promising season with the debut of Paul Skenes by adding absolutely no talent whatsoever to their roster. No one cares.
No one cares that the Mets have had the highest payrolls in baseball the past few seasons, because they've spent their money poorly. Now they've committed another $765-800 million to Juan Soto, along with expensive deals for Francisco Lindor, Kodai Senga, Brandon Nimmo, Starling Marte and Edwin Diaz. No one cares that they're actually outbidding other teams, because they haven't won.
No one cared when the Padres spent over a billion dollars on Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Xander Bogaerts. Then signed Yu Darvish for over $100 million, Joe Musgove for $100 million, extended Jake Cronenworth for $80 million, and spent nearly $50 million on a closer. Because they haven't won.
If fans want to direct their anger somewhere, direct it at the owners who got the expanded playoff they wanted, then realized that doing the bare minimum to reach 85 wins was a more cost effective strategy than trying to win 100. Instead of being angry at one of the few teams actively trying to win as many games as possible.
The Dodgers in the 2023 postseason started Lance Lynn in a win-or-go home playoff game. They relied on Jack Flaherty as an ace in 2024, a deadline trade acquisition, along with Walker Buehler, who had a 5.38 ERA in the regular season. Two of their most valuable playoff hitters were Tommy Edman and Kike Hernandez. Their top reliever in the playoffs was Blake Treinen, pitching on a $1 million contract. At points during the regular season they were starting players like Jason Heyward, Cavan Biggio and Nick Ahmed. Gavin Lux hit third or cleanup for weeks on end.
The front office in the 2024-2025 offseason saw their lack of depth at key positions, and sought to address it. Like every good front office should. Fans hate them for it. The Dodgers and Mets have roughly the same payroll obligations heading into 2025. No one is accusing the Mets of ruining baseball or trying to buy a championship.
Many of the Dodgers key players have been acquired by taking advantage of other teams, even in big markets, crying poor and choosing payroll flexibility over building the best possible roster.
- Mookie Betts - acquired in a trade with the Boston Red Sox, who refused to try to extend their homegrown superstar. Los Angeles then signed him within a month, after trading a number of young prospects to get him.
- Freddie Freeman - cast off by the Atlanta Braves despite spending his entire career there.
- Tyler Glasnow - traded away by the Tampa Bay Rays while making a very reasonable $25 million
- Teoscar Hernandez - signed to a one-year deal that would have been affordable to any team in baseball
- Max Muncy - signed as a minor league free agent
- Chris Taylor - acquired in a trade for Zach Lee
- Tommy Edman - acquired in a trade
- Michael Kopech - acquired in a trade
- Will Smith - homegrown player
- Clayton Kershaw - homegrown player
- Andy Pages - homegrown player
Anthony Banda, Daniel Hudson, Alex Vesia, Evan Phillips, Ryan Brasier, Ben Casparious and Edgardo Henriquez were all relievers on the postseason roster. All were available for virtually nothing either by trade or minimal salary. Or were homegrown players.
And the claims that baseball is "dead" are equally ridiculous. Right now, the Dodgers betting odds of winning the World Series equate to an implied probability of roughly 24%. Which means there's a 76% chance they don't win. Other projection systems put that percentage even lower. Because it's extremely hard to win in baseball, no matter how good your team is. Fans don't care.
Oh and by the way, for all those who say they're going to stop watching baseball now because of the lack of competitive balance, hopefully they'll also stop watching the NFL. Where six of the last 10 Super Bowls have been won by the New England Patriots or Kansas City Chiefs. Something tells me they won't.