So now what? Roki Sasaki was the Padres' Plan A this winter. They hoped desperately to woo the ace Japanese right-hander as an anchor of their starting rotation for years to come. They made that much known from the moment he was posted last month.

Japanese right-hander Roki Sasaki is signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers, he announced Friday on Instagram. Sasaki, 23, was considered to be the best pitcher in the world not already under the employment of an MLB organization.

With ownership turmoil and no offseason additions, the Padres must figure out how to contend without the Japanese phenom they coveted.

Roki Sasaki burst onto the scene in Japan as a 19-year-old in 2021, posting a 1.84 ERA over 16 starts. He bounded onto the world stage when he joined a star-studded Japanese rotation that included Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

Roki Sasaki ended the suspense of the most intriguing free agency of the offseason Friday, announcing his signing on his Instagram account.

After much speculation, the hard-throwing Japanese pitcher posts his decision on Instagram, choosing to play with countrymen Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Los Angeles.

Roki Sasaki, the No. 2 player on Yahoo Sports' Top 50 free-agent rankings, is headed to Los Angeles. He announced his decision on his Instagram on Friday. Sasaki's other finalists were the Toronto Blue Jays,

Prized Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki says in an Instagram post he intends to sign with the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

This time it was Roki Sasaki’s turn to break the Blue Jays’ hearts. The 23-year-old Japanese star is signing with the Dodgers, and just like Shohei Ohtani a year ago, Sasaki broke the news himself with an Instagram post.

The 23-year-old right-hander whose fastball tops 100 mph will join fellow Japanese stars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

ESPN BET is owned and operated by PENN Entertainment, Inc. and its subsidiaries ('PENN'). ESPN BET is available in states where PENN is licensed to offer sports wagering. Must be 21+ to wager. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER. Roki Sasaki is joining the Los Angeles Dodgers!