Ohtani sent a text to Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman even before Sasaki’s agent informed the club.

Sasaki said he prioritized joining a team that would embrace a Japanese player, but explained that there were other reasons why he ultimately chose the Dodgers.

The Los Angeles Dodgers signed Shohei Ohtani to a 10-year, $700 million contract last offseason, which at the time represented the largest deal in professional sports history.

The Dodgers introduced right-handed pitcher Roki Sasaki to the Los Angeles media on Wednesday, holding a press conference at Dodger Stadium. Just last week, Sasaki agreed to join the Dodgers after an extensive free-agent recruitment process that included multiple meetings with the Toronto Blue Jays and San Diego Padres.

The Dodgers’ ability to put off long-term payments while reaping short-term benefits is raising new fears about a competitive imbalance in a sport already lacking league-wide parity.

Roki Sasaki is finally a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 23-year-old phenom was introduced by Dodgers brass Wednesday afternoon at a news conference tha

Shohei Ohtani joining the Dodgers meant a formidable trio at the top batting order alongside Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts.

The Dodgers cemented their status as the preferred MLB destination for NPB stars and transformed their rotation into a Mount Rushmore of Japanese pitching luminaries by winning the Rōki Sasaki sweepstakes.

Shohei Ohtani broke the news to the Los Angeles Dodgers that prized Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki was joining the team. Ohtani sent a text to Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman even before Sasaki's agent informed the club.

"One of our goals is to have baseball fans in Japan convert to Dodger blue," president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said at Ohtani's introductory press conference, "and to have Shohei ...