Roki Sasaki arrived in Los Angeles in January 2025 with a deal that marks the official start of his MLB journey. The 23-year-old Japanese right-hander signed a minor league contract backed by the Dodgers‘ international bonus pool — a structure that allowed LA to land one of the most coveted international prospects without entering the open free-agent market.
The Contract at a Glance
- Team: Los Angeles Dodgers
- Signed: January 22, 2025
- Total Guaranteed Value: $6.5 million
- Signing Bonus: $6.5 million
- Posting Fee: $1.63 million
- No-Trade Clause: No
How the Deal Is Structured
Sasaki’s contract is a minor league agreement with a $6.5 million signing bonus funded entirely from the Dodgers’ international bonus pool. This setup is standard for players under 25 entering from professional Asian leagues.
On top of the bonus, the Dodgers paid a posting fee of $1.63 million to Sasaki’s former Japanese club — an amount equal to 25% of the signing bonus. That fee buys the team the exclusive right to negotiate with the pitcher.
The Fine Print
The contract is fully guaranteed from the moment it was signed. There are no opt-outs or exit clauses for the player, meaning the Dodgers are fully committed to developing him through their minor league system before a potential big-league call-up. The deal also carries no deferred money — the bonus is distributed under standard international pool terms.
Where Sasaki Stands Among MLB’s Highest-Paid Players
Sasaki doesn’t appear on any MLB salary rankings — and that’s by design. Because his deal is a minor league contract and he has yet to make his big-league debut, his financial footprint in the majors is essentially zero for now. His salary impact will be measured once he’s added to the Dodgers’ active roster, at which point a new phase of his professional career begins.
The Road to This Contract
Sasaki had no prior professional contracts in North America. His entire career through 2025 was spent in Japan, where he established himself as one of the premier pitching talents in Asian baseball. The Dodgers’ deal — anchored by that $6.5 million bonus — is his first formal step into the MLB system.
