The Los Angeles Dodgers wouldn’t actually ask for a do-over so quickly, would they?
The Dodgers were built to be the first repeat champion since the New York Yankees in 2000, spending insane money to augment the already-high priced roster that won the World Series a year ago. But in many ways, the Dodgers have earned a ticket to the postseason in spite of themselves.
Things certainly did not go to plan at the MLB level in 2025 for the franchise, which makes the playoff bid and 2.5-game lead in the NL West a testament to the amount of talent in the clubhouse. Widely expected to reach triple digits in wins, and perhaps even challenge the MLB record of 116 wins in a season, the Dodgers instead have been inconsistent yet dominant enough to reach the postseason for the 13th consecutive season, which is tied for the second longest streak in MLB history.
The starting rotation spurred much of the hyperbolic optimism, as Los Angeles added a pair of pitchers in the offseason who were thought to be potential staff leaders, one due to past performance, the other due to future expectations. Neither pitcher has performed up the hype, but where Blake Snell is still building up his case, Roki Sasaki is watching his opportunities slip away.
Could his next opportunity come in a different uniform?
Roki Sasaki Has a Troubling Start to His MLB Career
Sasaki, the 23-year-old phenom from Japan, was already touted as “the next big thing” before he joined the Dodgers in January. After dominating Nippon Professional Baseball for four seasons, the right-hander with the 100-mph fastball and “wipeout splitter” that some had deemed the world’s nastiest pitch signed a six-year contract with Los Angeles, making a rookie salary to start, so he could further his goal of becoming one of the greatest of all time.
But Sasaki had a rough beginning to his MLB career, getting pulled early from his first few starts. Then in mid-May, with a 4.72 ERA in 34.1 innings pitched over eight starts, Sasaki was put on the injured list with shoulder impingement.
After three months, Sasaki returned to the mound to pitch for Triple-A Oklahoma City. Since mid-August, giving up 14 earned runs in 18.2 innings. In his last two outings, Sasaki was used in relief, each time pitching a single scoreless inning, which has led to speculation that he could be put on the Dodgers’ playoff roster to pitch out of the bullpen.
But in the meantime, Snell, who also spent the majority of this season on the IL, has solidified his spot in the rotation. Since returning at the beginning of August, the left-hander has made eight starts, giving up no earned runs in half of them, and in his most recent outing Sept. 17, Snell pitched seven scoreless innings against the Phillies, allowing just two hits and two walks with 12 strikeouts.
Dodgers Solidify Rotation, Leaving no Spot for Roki Sasaki
Snell joins Tyler Glasnow, Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Emmet Sheehan, all of whom are under contract for several seasons, which seemingly leaves Sasaki without a spot for 2026 and beyond. Henry Palattella of the FanSided blog “Dodgers Way” suggests that Los Angeles may have soured on the idea of Sasaki becoming an MLB star and could look to move him during the offseason.
“He still has two more seasons left before he’s eligible for arbitration, so his value as a trade chip may never be as high as it is right now,” Palattella surmised. “It would be a tough pill to swallow a year after the Dodgers signed him, but it may be the best thing for the future of the franchise. If he isn’t literally gone next season, he has at least shown that he cannot be counted on or penciled into any formal plans. The rotation has been just fine without him.”
The Dodgers didn’t spend all that money and hype to stash Roki Sasaki in the bullpen, and they certainly didn’t envision his rookie season ending with trade chatter. But here they are — a team chasing another World Series while quietly weighing whether their prized international signing is really part of the long-term plan.
Maybe Sasaki finds redemption in October, maybe his electric arm is flipped for the next wave of talent. Either way, the Dodgers’ future — and Sasaki’s — suddenly feels a lot less certain than it did nine months ago.
Dodgers Predicted to Move On From Their Most Hyped Newcomer