LOS ANGELES — Prized Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki says in an Instagram post he intends to sign with the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. A 23-year-old right-hander whose fastball tops 100 mph, Sasaki will join fellow Japanese stars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in a move that many baseball executives have long expected.

Months of speculation gave way to heightened anticipation over recent days as a decision from Roki Sasaki neared with the start of the 2025 international signing period.