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Not content to simply win it all, the Dodgers Death Star project has now completed (maybe?) its second winter of construction. We also say goodbye to Bob Uecker, who passed away at 90 years old, and look at the latest with Vlad Jr. in Toronto. I’m Levi Weaver, here with Ken Rosenthal. Welcome to The Windup!
Big Deals: Dodgers sign Sasaki and Scott
Maybe the Dodgers should buy TikTok while they’re at it.
After months of speculation, a decision has been made: For a signing bonus of $6.5 million, 23-year-old RHP Roki Sasaki will be a Dodger, alongside countrymen Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The teammates from the 2023 World Baseball Classic champion Japan will be in a rotation that also includes Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell before getting to a second tier of starters that includes Dustin May, Tony Gonsolin, Bobby Miller, Landon Knack, Ben Casparius, Emmet Sheehan, River Ryan and Gavin Stone (some of whom will miss time recovering from injuries).
Oh, right: and probably Clayton Kershaw at some point.
The bad news for opposing lineups is once they get the starter out of the game, the Dodgers bullpen — which already included Blake Treinen, Michael Kopech, Alex Vesia and Evan Phillips — will now include the top left-handed reliever on this year’s free agent market: Tanner Scott joined the wrecking crew on a four-year deal worth $72 million.
Please note: We have yet to mention their lineup of former MVPs and All-Stars.
MLB hasn’t seen a true dynasty in quite a while. The last team to win multiple titles in a row? The 1998-2000 Yankees. A lot can go wrong in any given season, but sheesh — a LOT would have to go wrong for this team to be anything short of dominant for the foreseeable future.
Sure, it’s easy to be cynical and say, “Surrrrre they didn’t have a handshake deal with Sasaki.” It’s reasonable to have your suspicions (though the league’s investigation concluded there wasn’t an illegal agreement in place). It’s also possible that L.A. is just the place where Sasaki felt he had the best opportunity to succeed. Can you blame him?
With apologies to the Padres and the Blue Jays (who came up just short yet again), the Dodgers’ winning streak didn’t end with the last out of the 2024 World Series. It might have been just the beginning.
More on Sasaki:
- One reason the Dodgers are stocking up on pitching? A history of injuries. Ken tells us that their big responsibility now is to keep Sasaki healthy.
- MLB experts weigh in on Sasaki’s fit with the Dodgers, and the fallout around the league.
Ken’s Notebook: Inside the Dodgers’ ‘homework assignment’
From my recent column with Fabian Ardaya, Dennis Lin, Patrick Mooney and Will Sammon:
Perhaps it was fitting that everyone could see the UCLA campus outside the window. Inside a long conference room off Wilshire Boulevard, team after team attempted to recruit the most coveted free agent of the moment. The suitors included storied franchises and less heralded organizations, all seeking to woo a quiet 23-year-old with a roaring fastball and an air of mystery. They did not arrive, however, without some sense of direction.
Roki Sasaki had assigned homework.
It was December in Los Angeles, and as Sasaski met with teams at the headquarters of the Wasserman Sports Agency, he remained several weeks away from finalizing his choice. But after years of anticipation, these gatherings represented the homestretch of a long selection process, and at this critical juncture, the Japanese star seemed clear about what he wanted to hear. He asked each potential employer to explain the reason behind a vexing issue that lingered over his final season before a long-anticipated jump to the majors: Why did his velocity fall off?
The question was pointed and “incredibly thoughtful,” according to one of the executives tasked with answering it. It also proved consuming, posed to teams just days before the first round of meetings.
“The homework assignment,” said one club official briefed on the process, “was the presentation, basically.”
With a cadre of representatives by his side, Sasaki essentially interviewed any team he wanted, allowing him to gain valuable insights from a host of pitching experts. So the presenters made their pitch for roughly 90 minutes at a time. In the same way that front offices hunt for every piece of information and press every advantage in a negotiation, Sasaki came away with analysis from some of the sport’s most progressive organizations, all but one of which he is now tasked with beating.
“It was smart,” said one high-ranking official from a team that presented to Sasaki but did not advance to the final round.
Not everyone viewed it as charitably.
“It was a little bit like, ‘Hey, man, you’re asking for some things that get beyond that line of proprietary,”’ said a decision maker for another club. “It did kind of get to that line a little bit where you’re like, ‘Really?’ But you’ve got to make a decision and then kind of put your best foot forward.”
For the whole story, read on here.
Legends: Bob Uecker dies at 90
There really wasn’t anyone else like Bob Uecker. One of the sport’s most beloved personalities, Uecker died Thursday at 90 years old, having battled small cell lung cancer since early 2023.
It’s kind of perfect that a .200 hitter worth a career -1.0 bWAR earned the nickname “Mr. Baseball.” The voice of the Brewers for the last 53 years, Uecker’s celebrity transcended the greater Wisconsin area. Guest appearances on “Johnny Carson,” a role (as broadcaster Harry Doyle, of course) in “Major League,” numerous appearances on “Mr. Belvedere” and a string of beer commercials helped make him a household name.
Here are our four tributes to the Hall of Fame announcer:
- Grant Brisbee focused on Uecker’s time in the pop culture limelight and how he personified the fun of the game.
- Tyler Kepner tells how Uecker’s humor was what we knew him for, sure, but his humanity was right there beside it. Did you know that both Bob Gibson and Henry Aaron called Uecker to say goodbye on the days they passed away?
- Jayson Stark commemorated Uecker in classic Stark fashion: a list of fun facts about his life and career, both on and off the field.
- And Kamila Hinkson compiled a list of tributes from family and friends, including former Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy’s story of a prank Uecker played on him during a fishing trip.
Crystal Ball: Vlad’s future in Toronto
It’s a situation that has been building to a head for over a year now: Will the Blue Jays sign Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to an extension to keep the face of the franchise in Toronto? Or will they determine his price is too high and trade him before he hits free agency?
Given their recent streak of disappointments in attempts to add star power in free agency — Sasaki follows Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto on a list of players reportedly considering the Blue Jays before signing elsewhere — it seems like they should be a little extra motivated not to start subtracting.
But if you follow the trail of breadcrumbs in this week’s news, you might start to wonder.
Let’s start with another first baseman whose team is in the process of making a stay-or-go decision: Pete Alonso, whose free agency is apparently hitting a tipping point. Reports surfaced this week that the Mets are considering other avenues.
But as part of that reporting, it came to light Thursday that the Blue Jays are now in the mix for Alonso. Later that day, Ken and Will Sammon reported this:
“The Blue Jays have not spoken to Guerrero’s camp about an extension since before Christmas, according to a source briefed on the conversations. However, those talks are expected to accelerate before Guerrero’s self-imposed deadline of Feb. 17, the day before the Jays hold their first full workout for pitchers and position players.”
If the Blue Jays do sign Alonso, it wouldn’t be impossible to roster both guys — Guerrero has played 110 games at third base in the big leagues, and both could take at-bats at DH. But it doesn’t seem like a long-term fit. Either way, it sounds like we’ll have an answer on an extension in less than a month.
Handshakes and High Fives
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(Top photo: Lucas Stevenson / WBCI / MLB Photos via Getty Images)
