The Los Angeles Dodgers traded outfielder Dylan Campbell to the Philadelphia Phillies in order to get more international bonus pool space for Roki Sasaki. Campbell was a fourth-round pick from out of Texas in the 2023 draft.
According to MLB insider Francys Romero, the Dodgers gained between $750,000 to $1 million in international bonus pool money in return.
Sasaki sent shockwaves through the baseball world when he announced on Instagram that he would be signing with the Dodgers. Of the three finalists in the Sasaki sweepstakes, the Dodgers had the least amount of money in their international bonus pool—that is no longer the case after the trade with Philadelphia.
Ahead of Sasaki’s coveted announcement, it was reported the Dodgers were exploring potential trade options as a way to bulk up their offer to the Japanese phenom. Lo and behold, the trade transpired less than an hour after Sasaki announced he would be a Dodger.
Even before the announcement, several baseball fans opposed the idea of the 23-year-old joining the reigning World Series champions. Their complaints ranged from “the Dodgers are ruining baseball” to “Dodgers signing Sasaki isn’t fair.”
Nevertheless, Sasaki’s decision to come to Los Angeles is a testament to the Dodgers organization. The Dodgers have never been afraid to spend big, but in the case of Sasaki, the front office has to switch gears from businessmen to salesmen.
The Sasaki situation was unique since he joined MLB as an international amateur, meaning he was limited to signing a minor-league contract with a signing bonus. Sasaki will reportedly receive a $6.5 million signing bonus from the Dodgers, according to ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez.
The Dodgers couldn’t outbid their competition in the Sasaki sweepstakes, but instead had to sell Sasaki on why the Los Angeles organization was the premier team to join.
President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said signing Sasaki was a “huge priority” for the Dodgers this winter. The organization has continued to ride the wave of success.
Now, Sasaki joins a rotation with a handful of aces in Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Shohei Ohtani. Signing with any other team would’ve meant Sasaki would’ve been the face of an organization, a ton of pressure for a young, developing pitcher.
Sasaki gets to hone his craft with a Dodgers organization known for their pitching development and learn from his successful teammates in the starting rotation.
