Wednesday, February 05

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The numbers that big leaguers wear on their backs can mean a lot to them -- and sometimes, the numbers end up being worth a lot, too.

Just ask Shohei Ohtani, who gifted Joe Kelly and his family a Porsche in exchange for his No. 17 when he joined the Dodgers ahead of the 2024 season.

That recent memory led many to wonder what Roki Sasaki might offer veteran Miguel Rojas, as the highly touted right-hander from Japan wore No. 11 -- which belonged to Rojas in his previous two seasons with L.A. -- on his back when he was introduced as a Dodger.

"I'm really grateful that a veteran like Miguel Rojas has let me wear No. 11," Sasaki said at his introductory press conference through team interpreter Will Ireton. "I haven't decided yet on what I'm going to give, but I'm going to start thinking about that."

Rojas, though, had a very simple request for his new teammate.

"I don't need anything, to be honest with you. I just want to win," Rojas said at DodgerFest on Saturday. "I just want Roki Sasaki on my team, and that's what I'm looking for."

Reminded by a member of the media that giving gifts is an important part of Japanese culture, Rojas reassured that he would accept anything he was offered -- but that the most important thing Sasaki could do for him is be a good teammate and help the Dodgers become even better in 2025.

Changing numbers is a common part of the game, but Rojas acknowledged that it's typically young players who have to give up their numbers for an established veteran.

Sasaki, while accomplished across his four seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball, is a rookie once more. The 23-year-old carries over no shortage of hype with his tantalizing arsenal and is ranked as MLB Pipeline's No. 1 overall prospect in baseball, but even so, he's unproven as a Major Leaguer.

Rojas, on the other hand, is heading into his 12th big league season. He's stuck around at the highest level of professional baseball for a long time and continues to play an important role for the Dodgers. Many would consider him to have the right to his preferred number, but that's not the priority for Rojas.

"When the guy's coming from a different culture, from a different country," he said, "I want him to feel comfortable in the clubhouse."

Rojas switched to No. 72 after giving his number to Sasaki, a callback to his earliest days in the big leagues. It's the number he wore on June 6, 2014, when he made his Major League debut with the Dodgers.

The number didn't really mean anything to Rojas at the time, he said -- it was assigned to him at Spring Training, and he just kept it. But now, he will always associate it with his first taste of big league action and the organization that helped him get to that point.

"It felt right to come back to No. 72," Rojas said. "Hopefully it brings a little bit of youngness with me, because I'm not getting any younger."

"It's incredible. It's like the Avengers. It's like the Monstars. It's the best team I've ever been on. To be a part of that team and just to have so many not only good players, but just good dudes and guys you want to hang out with for nine months out of the year, that's a pretty rare thing." -- Tyler Glasnow, on the Dodgers' pitching depth

While the Dodgers have made waves in free agency this offseason, there are two familiar faces with roots in L.A. who are still available: Clayton Kershaw and Kiké Hernández.

Kershaw's return seems all but certain, as he has announced his intention to re-sign with the Dodgers for his 18th big league season, and the team is equally motivated to bring back its franchise icon. He is expected to miss some time early in the season as he continues to rehab from offseason left toe and left knee surgeries, but once he's healthy, Kershaw will join a deep group of options for the rotation.

"He is throwing, and he's starting to get into the swing of it," general manager Brandon Gomes said Saturday, "so our expectation is to have more conversations at an in-depth level here soon."

A reunion with Hernández feels less certain, as re-signing him might necessitate a shakeup of the team's right-handed bench bats. Hernández has been vocal about wanting to return to Los Angeles, though, and he was the spark plug the team needed during last year's World Series run -- and the Dodgers are open to bringing him back.

"Obviously, we'd never close the door to Kiké," Gomes said. "I think a lot of it is just making sure he and his family feel like it's the best position for him."

• Dodgers manager Dave Roberts thinks Ohtani will likely return to the mound in May.

• Freddie Freeman is still rehabbing his right ankle heading into Spring Training, but he expects to be ready to go for the season-opening Tokyo Series.

• Chris and Mary Taylor held their second annual Polar Plunge through their CT3 Foundation, benefiting the Friendship Foundation and the L.A. Fire Department Foundation.

The Dodgers announced that single-game tickets for the 2025 season will go on sale Thursday at 10 a.m. PT. Tickets for Opening Day on March 27 vs. the Tigers and the World Series rematch vs. the Yankees from May 30 to June 1 won't be available until a later date, the team added.

L.A. also unveiled its initial promotional schedule, which begins with an Orel Hershiser replica jersey giveaway on March 29. There's also an extensive lineup of bobbleheads, commemorating happenings such as Ohtani's '24 MVP campaign (April 2) and Freeman's walk-off grand slam in the World Series (April 11). The full list can be viewed here.

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