Roki Sasaki made Japanese toilet ask of Dodgers that was ‘factor’ in him signing

Ballplayers can be pretty particular about the things they want in the clubhouse, and for the Dodgers, no suggestion is off the table, including changing the design of some of the toilets in order to woo a potential player. 

After Rōki Sasaki suggested that having Japanese-style toilets would help sway his decision about where to sign, the Dodgers went out and made the change amid a $100 million renovation of the team’s clubhouse. 

Roki Sasaki #11 of the Los Angeles Dodgers leaves the game after a pitching change during the sixth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Dodger Stadium on April 26, 2025 in Los Angeles, California, Getty Images

The topic had come up in a meeting with Sasaki and team officials, which included team president and CEO Stan Kasten. 

“During our first meeting with Roki, we were telling him about the project we had ongoing to upgrade our clubhouse and facilities,” Kasten said to the OC Register. “I was telling him about all the amenities we were adding. ‘We’re going to have this and this and this.’ And he asked, ‘Are you going to have Japanese-style toilets?’”

Japanese toilets often include a bidet function, a remote control, heated seats and an automatic lid among other advanced features.

Sasaki later admitted the suggestion was a bit more tongue-in-cheek, but the pitcher had liked that the team was willing to listen to his input and that it “was definitely a factor” in him joining the LA team. 

“Done. You got it,” Kasten recalled telling Sasaki during the meeting. “It was a good idea that we got from a player.”

Sasaki did sign with the Dodgers and in his first season in the major leagues, he has posted a 3.55 ERA in six starts for Los Angeles. 

He has tallied 20 strikeouts over 25 ⅓ innings pitched and has a 1.421 WHIP. 

Dodgers president Stan Kasten reacts before the game against the Detroit Tigers at Dodger Stadium. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

During his most recent outing, Sasaki struck out four while allowing three runs on five hits in an 8-4 win over the Pirates on Saturday. 

The Dodgers signed Sasaki in January for a signing bonus of $6.5 million, beating out the Padres and Blue Jays for the Japanese pitcher’s services. The Mets and Yankees also made pitches but were not among the finalists.