Roki Sasaki Signed With The Dodgers Partly Because He Liked Their Toilets

The Los Angeles Dodgers are not afraid to spend money — even if that means buying fancy toilets to woo Roki Sasaki.

Yes, you read that correctly.

As part of a $100-million clubhouse renovation this past offseason, the Dodgers installed Japanese-style toilets after Sasaki suggested that having such them could sway his decision on where to sign.

"During our first meeting with Roki, we were telling him about the project we had ongoing to upgrade our clubhouse and facilities," team president and CEO Stan Kasten said, per the Orange County Register. "I was telling him about all the amenities we were adding. ‘We’re going to have this and this and this.’ And he asked, ‘Are you going to have Japanese-style toilets?’"

Quality toilets are of the utmost importance to Roki Sasaki.

(Imagn-Images)

Kasten happily obliged, and the 23-year-old pitcher chose to sign with L.A. over the San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays. He got a signing bonus of $6.5 million.

Sasaki later said that he was partially joking with Kasten, but having Japanese-style toilets was certainly his preference. He also said that the Dodgers' willingness to go above and beyond to make players more comfortable "was definitely a factor."

"It sounds like a joke. But for me, it’s pretty important," Sasaki said through an interpreter.

In case you missed that particular episode of South Park, Japanese toilets are essentially smart toilets that feature a built-in bidet and a variety of other technological advancements, like warm water cleaning, heated seats, automatic lids and even a remote control for customization.

In his first MLB season, Sasaki has posted a 3.55 ERA in six starts for Los Angeles. He has tallied 20 strikeouts over 25 ⅓ innings pitched and has a 1.421 WHIP. 

Meanwhile, the defending World Series champion Dodgers are sitting pretty in second place in the National League West — and on their Japanese toilets.