Roki Sasaki's inclusion in the starting rotation for the new season sparks discussion, Dodgers executives explain their approach.

The Los Angeles Dodgers' decision to place Roki Sasaki in the starting rotation for the new season has sparked widespread discussion. Team president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman stated that hastily adjusting the lineup based solely on immediate performance is detrimental to the development of young players.

In spring training exhibition games, Roki Sasaki made three appearances, pitching 6.2 innings with an ERA of 13.50. In his most recent outing, he allowed three runs during his pitching session. Although he gave up only one hit and recorded three strikeouts, he also issued four walks, indicating he is still adjusting his form.

Despite this, manager Dave Roberts still decided to include him in the opening season rotation, stating that players would not be judged solely based on spring training results.

Friedman further explained: "Sasaki is a highly talented starting pitcher. Like many promising young players, he still has room to grow." He emphasized that in planning for the 2026 season and beyond, the team needs to balance its roster composition to integrate promising young players into the system. "We need patience, balancing short-term and long-term goals. This is key to maintaining long-term competitiveness."

He pointed out that if a team hastily discards players and frequently changes the lineup based solely on immediate performance, it hinders player development. If a team cannot cultivate its own talent, it must rely on spending money to acquire players from outside. Therefore, finding a balance between development and acquisition is fundamental to building a strong team. Under this approach, sometimes tolerating short-term performance fluctuations is necessary.