The Los Angeles Dodgers had an unsung hero emerge just in time for the playoffs last season in rookie Roki Sasaki. The Dodgers pitcher wasn’t even expected to make the postseason roster, but one opportunity at the end of the regular season proved to be all Los Angeles needed to see.

“I genuinely thought we wouldn’t see Roki Sasaki return in 2025… I figured they’d just shut him down and try again in 2026. He’s seriously the reliever I trust the most right now and he should be the closer moving forward. He’s looked flat out untouchable since returning,” Dodgers beat writer Blake Harris wrote.

Sasaki came up as a starter, which is why it was difficult for him to make an impact after his injury. However, a move to the bullpen turned out to be the perfect call by the Dodgers organization. He quickly showed he could be their closer moving forward.

“Roki Sasaki is now the primary option to pitch in the 9th inning, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts says,” USA Today’s Bob Nightengale posted.

While Sasaki has solidified his role in the bullpen, the Dodgers are also looking to add starting pitching, and Tarik Skubal is a name to watch. FanSided’s Christopher Kline believes Los Angeles could even consider trading Sasaki to acquire Skubal.

“Tarik Skubal’s expiring contract is a complicating factor, but he’s good enough for L.A. to consider offering up Sasaki even for one season. If it reaches that point, the Detroit Tigers would be irresponsible not to listen. For as dominant as Skubal is, the Framber Valdez signing gives the top of Detroit’s rotation a bit more stability. Compare the value of one season with Skubal to a five-year window with Sasaki, plus whatever else L.A. tosses into a deal, and it could be too tempting for Detroit to pass up,” Kline wrote.

Landing Skubal would feel almost unfair for the Dodgers and would be a massive upgrade to an already stacked rotation. It’s hard to improve on Los Angeles’ current pitching staff, but Skubal would do exactly that.

Skubal is expected to be one of the top targets when the offseason arrives. However, the Dodgers could potentially acquire him via trade and then quickly offer a lucrative extension he would be unlikely to turn down.

The Los Angeles Dodgers had an unsung hero emerge just in time for the playoffs last season in rookie Roki Sasaki. The Dodgers pitcher wasn’t even expected to make the postseason roster, but one opportunity at the end of the regular season proved to be all Los Angeles needed to see.

“I genuinely thought we wouldn’t see Roki Sasaki return in 2025… I figured they’d just shut him down and try again in 2026. He’s seriously the reliever I trust the most right now and he should be the closer moving forward. He’s looked flat out untouchable since returning,” Dodgers beat writer Blake Harris wrote.

Sasaki came up as a starter, which is why it was difficult for him to make an impact after his injury. However, a move to the bullpen turned out to be the perfect call by the Dodgers organization. He quickly showed he could be their closer moving forward.

“Roki Sasaki is now the primary option to pitch in the 9th inning, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts says,” USA Today’s Bob Nightengale posted.

While Sasaki has solidified his role in the bullpen, the Dodgers are also looking to add starting pitching, and Tarik Skubal is a name to watch. FanSided’s Christopher Kline believes Los Angeles could even consider trading Sasaki to acquire Skubal.

“Tarik Skubal’s expiring contract is a complicating factor, but he’s good enough for L.A. to consider offering up Sasaki even for one season. If it reaches that point, the Detroit Tigers would be irresponsible not to listen. For as dominant as Skubal is, the Framber Valdez signing gives the top of Detroit’s rotation a bit more stability. Compare the value of one season with Skubal to a five-year window with Sasaki, plus whatever else L.A. tosses into a deal, and it could be too tempting for Detroit to pass up,” Kline wrote.

Landing Skubal would feel almost unfair for the Dodgers and would be a massive upgrade to an already stacked rotation. It’s hard to improve on Los Angeles’ current pitching staff, but Skubal would do exactly that.

Skubal is expected to be one of the top targets when the offseason arrives. However, the Dodgers could potentially acquire him via trade and then quickly offer a lucrative extension he would be unlikely to turn down.

The Los Angeles Dodgers had an unsung hero emerge just in time for the playoffs last season in rookie Roki Sasaki. The Dodgers pitcher wasn’t even expected to make the postseason roster, but one opportunity at the end of the regular season proved to be all Los Angeles needed to see.

“I genuinely thought we wouldn’t see Roki Sasaki return in 2025… I figured they’d just shut him down and try again in 2026. He’s seriously the reliever I trust the most right now and he should be the closer moving forward. He’s looked flat out untouchable since returning,” Dodgers beat writer Blake Harris wrote.

Sasaki came up as a starter, which is why it was difficult for him to make an impact after his injury. However, a move to the bullpen turned out to be the perfect call by the Dodgers organization. He quickly showed he could be their closer moving forward.

“Roki Sasaki is now the primary option to pitch in the 9th inning, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts says,” USA Today’s Bob Nightengale posted.

While Sasaki has solidified his role in the bullpen, the Dodgers are also looking to add starting pitching, and Tarik Skubal is a name to watch. FanSided’s Christopher Kline believes Los Angeles could even consider trading Sasaki to acquire Skubal.

“Tarik Skubal’s expiring contract is a complicating factor, but he’s good enough for L.A. to consider offering up Sasaki even for one season. If it reaches that point, the Detroit Tigers would be irresponsible not to listen. For as dominant as Skubal is, the Framber Valdez signing gives the top of Detroit’s rotation a bit more stability. Compare the value of one season with Skubal to a five-year window with Sasaki, plus whatever else L.A. tosses into a deal, and it could be too tempting for Detroit to pass up,” Kline wrote.

Landing Skubal would feel almost unfair for the Dodgers and would be a massive upgrade to an already stacked rotation. It’s hard to improve on Los Angeles’ current pitching staff, but Skubal would do exactly that.

Skubal is expected to be one of the top targets when the offseason arrives. However, the Dodgers could potentially acquire him via trade and then quickly offer a lucrative extension he would be unlikely to turn down.

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