The belle of the ball on last winter's international amateur free agent market, Roki Sasaki agreed to a deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers carrying a $6.5 million bonus in January that put the rest of the baseball world on notice.
Not even six months ago, the flame-throwing Japanese right-hander was practically a lock to win the National League Rookie of the Year award. Needless to say, quite a bit has changed since then.
In eight starts for the Dodgers, Sasaki pitched to a 4.72 ERA, a 1.49 WHIP and an 84 ERA+. He struggled with command, posting 22 walks against 24 strikeouts in 34 1/3 innings before landing on the injured list in May with right shoulder impingement.