The expectation this winter was that the Los Angeles Dodgers were going to land international free agent Roki Sasaki.

While the Dodgers were named finalists, they did have to worry about the San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays. While the Padres ultimately bowed out of the running, the Blue Jays were picking up extra international bonus pool money from the Cleveland Guardians for Myles Straw.

But on Friday night, the Dodgers got a deal done, as Sasaki announced on his Instagram account that he was signing a minor league contract with Los Angeles.

Given Sasaki is considered an amateur player, he can only sign a minor league deal, limited to a team’s international bonus pool money. So an ace pitcher with upside who a team could sign on the cheap? Most fanbases felt hope that they had a chance, but deep down they knew he’d probably head to the Dodgers.

While Sasaki is signed to a cheap contract, that doesn’t mean that it could have ramifications on the roster? Let’s take a look at Dodgers players who might be gone in the near future after the Sasaki signing.

3. Landon Knack

Spoiler alert, there are going to be starting pitchers or potential starting pitchers on this list. First up, we go to Landon Knack. The 27-year-old just had his first shot at the major leagues last season, due in part to the variety of injuries in the starting rotation.

Knack started in 12 of 15 regular season games played, recording a 3.65 ERA, a 1.10 WHIP, a 3-5 win-loss record, and 69 strikeouts over 69.0 innings.

Once the postseason rolled around, Knack was put into the bullpen, serving as a long-relief option for them. After all, they did have a limited starting rotation entering the playoffs. In three appearances, Knack recorded a 7.71 ERA, a 1.71 WHIP, five strikeouts, and four walks in 7.0 innings out of the bullpen.

This isn’t to say that Knack will be moved to another team. Rather, with how deep the Dodgers starting rotation is now, it’s entirely likely Knack could start the year off in the minor leagues.

2. Tony Gonsolin

Now we get to some of the main stays in the Dodgers rotation. Tony Gonsolin had been a mainstay in the Dodgers rotation for quite some time after making his debut in the 2019 season. Notably, Gonsolin started in every game pitched in 2022.

Gonsolin last pitched during the 2023 season, which saw his numbers inflate a bit. In 20 starts, Gonsolin recorded a 4.98 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP. However, Gonsolin’s season ended early after experiencing right forearm inflammation, which ultimately led to the pitcher undergoing Tomy John surgery. Considering how late he underwent Tommy John surgery, Gonsolin missed all of this past season.

Gonsolin is expected to be ready for the 2025 season. It would not be surprising if he did start off as a back-end of the rotation option for the Dodgers to allow Sasaki to ease into his eventual role. But let’s not forget that Gonsolin is under contract until the conclusion of the 2026 season. With Sasaki, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, and Blake Snell all under contract for multiple years, there are only so many spot in the rotation to go around.

1. Dustin May

Much like Gonsolin, Dustin May’s spot in the rotation may be in flux.

May began his career with the Dodgers with high upside as a top prospect in the organization. In the 2020 season, May was a NL Rookie of the Year contender after recording a 2.57 ERA, a 1.089 WHIP, 44 strikeouts, and 16 walks in 56.0 innings pitched. May finished fifth in NL Rookie of the Year voting that year.

But since 2021, May has dealt with a variety of injuries. In 2021, May underwent Tommy John surgery, which forced him to miss most of the 2022 season before being sidelined with a back injury. In 2023, May underwent elbow surgery, limiting him to just nine games. Then, he missed all of the 2024 campaign due to recovering from said shoulder injury while also suffering an esophageal tear. So in that span, May pitched just 20 games.

Since making his major league debut in 2019, May holds a 3.10 ERA, a 12-9 win-loss record, a 3.3 WAR, 174 strikeouts, and 57 walks in 191.2 innings (46 games).

May is set to become a free agent at the end of next season. Given how stacked the rotation is, is it entirely possible May’s time with the Dodgers is nearing its end?