Editor's Note: The story below originally ran in November, after Roki Sasaki's NPB team pledged to post the Japanese star pitcher. Sasaki announced Friday he was signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

As far back as January, 2024, Japan’s pitching phenomenon, 23-year-old Roki Sasaki, stated that he had “the desire to play in the U.S. Major Leagues in the future,” and that his Japanese ...