Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani got to concentrate exclusively on hitting during the 2024 season, as he rehabbed from elbow surgery performed in 2023.
We saw what he can do with the bat if he doesn’t have to go up to the mound every five or six days: he produced a 54-homer, 59-steal campaign with a .310 batting average and 130 RBI.
Those numbers earned him a unanimous NL MVP award in his first season with the Dodgers, his third award in his brilliant MLB career after the two he got with the Los Angeles Angels (2021, 2023).
Ohtani beat Francisco Lindor comfortably and can now say he is a three-time MVP, tying the likes of Alex Rodriguez, Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, Mike Schmidt, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Roy Campanella, Stan Musial, Joe DiMaggio, and Jimmie Foxx.
Shoehai Ohtani was asked about the Dodgers adding Roki Sasaki
In the interviews that came after being declared winner, Ohtani was asked about the possibility of his teammate in Samurai Japan, Roki Sasaki, signing with the Dodgers when he is posted, likely after January 15.
Is Ohtani trying to get Sasaki to sign with the Dodgers? Has he started an active recruiting campaign? Well, no. At least not yet, according to the player himself.
Ohtani says he hasn’t recruited Sasaki to the Dodgers… yet
“Shohei Ohtani said he hasn’t actively tried to recruit Roki Sasaki to the Dodgers yet, but said they stay in contact as former Samurai Japan teammates. “I’ll respect his decision wherever he wants to sign,” Dodgers insider Fabian Ardaya posted on his X account.
Sasaki will be available for international bonus pool money, meaning his signing bonus will likely be capped at six or seven million depending on where he signs. This makes him a candidate to go to just about any team because everyone will have a chance financially.
That makes him the darling of the free agent market. Despite diminished velocity in 2024 with the Chiba Lotte Marines of the NPB, he was able to post a 2.35 ERA in 111 frames, with 129 strikeouts. The 23-year-old right-hander boasts a high-90s fastball and a nasty splitter, while also throwing a slider.
Even with recent rumors indicating that other squads have a fair chance to get Sasaki’s signature, the Dodgers remain favorites especially if Ohtani starts actively recruiting him. Stay tuned.
