The Los Angeles Dodgers just won the World Series this offseason and now they’re trying to figure out how to make their winter plans come true. One of those plans could include an upgrade to the starting rotation.

Los Angeles has long been linked to Japanese superstar Roki Sasaki. There were questions about when the pitcher would enter Major League Baseball, but all of that has been put to rest now.

His Japanese club, the Chiba Lotte Marines, announced that they had begun the process of releasing Sasaki. He will now be able to sign with an MLB team and the Dodgers are considered the favorites to land the superstar.

In the announcement, Sasaki also included a message.

“Since joining the team, the team has listened to my thoughts on my future challenge in the MLB, and I am very grateful to the team for officially allowing me to post now. There have been many of things that didn’t go well in my five years with the Marines, but I always had the support of my teammates, my staff, the front office and my fans, and I was able to get here in focusing only on baseball I will do my best to. to progress from my minor contract to becoming the best player in the world, so that I have no regrets in my one and only baseball career and can live up to the expectations of everyone who supported me this time.”

Since Sasaki is only 23 years old, he is eligible to sign a minor league deal with international bonus pool money as a signing bonus. This makes the price much lower for him, which helps the team that lands him.

Nearly every team will call upon his services, but the Dodgers have long been considered the favorite to land the pitching sensation.

Sasaki’s manager also released a statement regarding the pitcher.

“Since he joined the team, we have heard from him that he dreams of playing in America. After making a complete judgment over the past five years, we have decided to respect his wish. We hope that He will do his best as a representative of Japan.

It remains to be seen whether Saksai ends up with the Dodgers, but Los Angeles will certainly be in the mix for him.