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The story
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has revealed plans to use pitcher Roki Sasaki out of the bullpen. Sasaki is set to return against the Padres, marking his second straight year of playoff relief duty. This season Sasaki held down a spot in the starting rotation, making 23 starts (5 wins, 4.75 ERA), but with a deep starting staff that includes Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Cy Young winner Blake Snell, and Tarik Skubal, the Dodgers plan to use four starters and shift the remaining three to the bullpen. Thread reactions were split between harsh takes calling it “a failing grade as a starter” and cooler heads noting “it’s about rotation logistics, not a lack of ability.”
Roki Sasaki Moved to Bullpen Role, Manager Roberts Confirms — Set to Return in Padres Series
Second Straight Year of Playoff Relief Duty: “It Makes Sense Given the Current Situation”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts stated in a post-game press conference that he plans to use pitcher Roki Sasaki out of the bullpen.
Source: topics.smt.docomo.ne.jp / Original article here
What people said
Demoted to relief!
This is what happens when you keep chasing after him just because he's Japanese.
Time he stood on his own two feet.
You clearly don't get it either, you're mistaken.
This is just a postseason-specific role change.
In the postseason you only need 4 starters, so 3 of the 7 starters just move to the bullpen.
More like he'd come out in the final inning and get roasted/exposed (a pun on 胴上げ "hero's toss" vs 晒し上げ "public shaming"), not celebrated.
No room for those two either.
They'll probably end up as long relievers in the postseason.
Honestly, given how things turned out, it was probably good that he came over before his salary went up.
That post definitely sounds like it's got something mixed up.
This was decided from the start, wasn't it.
So basically, Sasaki failed as a starter.
That post shows zero understanding.
If he can perform in the postseason like he did last year, I guess they're willing to overlook the regular season.
His QS rate is 4.5, so
that's a passing grade for now.
For some reason they got hammered by them this year.
But then again, last year they lost every game to the Brewers before ripping off 4 straight wins, so…
In NPB, where they couldn't even figure out why his velocity dropped?
I feel like if he'd stayed in Japan, he would've blown out his shoulder.
And here he is being a total "Spelunker" (gaming slang for someone who's fragile/injury-prone).
Nah, pretty sure that's just a fail, honestly…
Roki's 23 starts this season actually topped Glasnow's career-high of 22 starts.
Just FYI.
Back to starting next year, maybe.
He's on the MLB minimum guaranteed salary, though.
Wrobleski was so bad in the first half he's barely recognizable, so I don't think he starts.
If anything, Sasaki was more stable in the second half, so he's the one who'd go back to starting.
Closer's got to be Tanner Scott — he's way better than he was last year.
they should take those trash guys' salaries and give them to Roki and Rojas instead.
The trouble is, when healthy, both Snell and Glasnow are Cy Young-caliber aces.
Background and Key Points of the Debate
Since MLB playoff rotations are typically built around four starters, it’s standard for teams that ran a five-man rotation during the regular season to shift their extra starter to the bullpen. The Dodgers have built their rotation around Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, and Cy Young winners Blake Snell and Tarik Skubal, so Sasaki’s move to relief is less a pure “demotion” and more a consequence of roster construction. Indeed, several thread posts pushed back against comments that chalked it up to a lack of ability, pointing instead to the manager’s remark that the move “makes sense given the current situation.” On the other hand, his 4.75 ERA this season falls short of what you’d want from a starter, and the fact that he’s now headed for playoff bullpen duty for the second year running suggests Sasaki still hasn’t locked down a spot as an unquestioned starter. Still, it’s worth noting that his 23 starts this season actually exceeded Glasnow’s career-high of 22 — so he was hardly short on opportunities.
*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports Express+) thread “[MLB] Roki Sasaki Moved to Bullpen Role, Manager Roberts Confirms — Set to Return in Padres Series.”
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