Japanese ace Roki Sasaki appears to be heading to MLB. It was announced early Saturday morning that he would be assigned to his Japanese team, the Chiba Lotte Marines, and once that decision was made official, he would have 45 days to sign with one of the 30 big league teams.

This news is a bit surprising: Since Sasaki is under 25, he can only sign a Minor League contract with a signing bonus, much like what Shohei Ohtani did during his transition to the MLB. He won’t be able to earn anything close to the $325 million that his compatriot Yoshinobu Yamamoto earned last offseason.

Given his cheap price, all 30 teams will likely show some interest. Since Sasaki can choose where he goes, there is every reason to believe that he will end up with the Los Angeles Dodgers and playing with Ohtani and Yamamoto. It’s far from a done dealbut the Dodgers are considered undisputed favorites.

Assuming the Dodgers get him, it could have a ripple effect on the rest of the roster. If they land Sasaki, these three players might not be back in 2025.

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The Dodgers won the World Series despite numerous injuries to the starting pitcher. One of the pitchers who missed significant time was Dustin May, who was out the entire season due to flexor tendon surgery and a separate procedure to repair his esophagus. This season has been unfortunate for May, a big arm who has failed to stay healthy throughout his career.

Despite being called up for the first time in 2019, May has never made more than 14 appearances in a single season. He also never made more than 10 starts or pitched more than 56 innings in a single season. He has a ton of talent, as evidenced by his career 3.10 ERA in 46 MLB appearances (34 starts), but again, those appearances have spanned over half a decade now.

The 27-year-old is about to enter his final year of arbitration, meaning the 2025 season will be his last under the club’s control. This is the last chance for the Dodgers to take advantage of the month of May. Assuming Sasaki joins the mix, there may not even be room for him in their rotation with guys like Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow and Tony Gonsolin (to name a few) expected to return from their injuries next year.

It’s unclear what May’s value would be on the trade market, but there’s enough talent there to guarantee the Dodgers will get something significant in return. Since it’s very possible that 2025 could be May’s final season in Los Angeles, even if he isn’t traded, the Dodgers would do well to see what kind of return he would bring.

The Dodgers might not have won the World Series without Buehler, and it’s hard to say a team can have too much pitching depth, especially after everything Los Angeles went through last season. Still, if the Dodgers draft Sasaki, they might have too many bodies in the rotation to bring back Buehler.

Sasaki will join Yamamoto, Ohtani, Glasnow, Gonsolin, May and Bobby Miller competing for a rotation spot, and those are just among the players currently on the roster. Clayton Kershaw will likely be re-signed. The Dodgers are going after Garrett Crochet. They will go after other free agents and trade targets. They can bringing Buehler back, but letting him go elsewhere with his last Dodger memory being taping the final out of the World Series might make more sense.

He was excellent in the postseason in all but one inning against the San Diego Padres and certainly helped rebuild its value in the process, but his regular season numbers left a lot to be desired. He had a 5.38 ERA in 16 starts and 75.1 innings during the regular season. His forward metrics weren’t very good and his fastball velocity was as low as it had ever been.

Combining these factors with his injury history and the depth the Dodgers already have, it’s hard to see the Dodgers bringing him back if Sasaki comes on board. If they really wanted him back, the qualifying offer could have been presented to keep him for another year. The fact that they haven’t extended this period shows that they are open to him leaving, even if it might sting.

The Dodgers’ biggest move at the trade deadline saw them acquire Jack Flaherty from the Detroit Tigers. The trade proved extremely valuable, as the Dodgers desperately needed healthy starting pitchers in October, but Flaherty’s inconsistency cannot be ignored.

The right-hander had a 3.58 ERA in 10 regular season starts with the Dodgers (compared to 2.95 in 18 starts with the Tigers). He then had two very good playoff starts and three pretty bad ones. He started the World Series, but also only managed to record four outs. He showed his enormous potential in October, but again, the inconsistency was shockingthat’s the least we can say.

Keeping Flaherty would be a luxury for the Dodgers, but there’s a good chance he’ll look to take advantage of the open market. If he’s willing to take a hometown discount, it’s worth discussing, but with many better options available and the Dodgers already having a ton of depth, it’s hard to imagine them spending that that it will take for Flaherty. Sasaki’s presence would make it much easier to let him walk.