ORLANDO, FL — The 2026 World Baseball Classic begins in less than three months.
Between time and then Dodgers will have to have some “delicate” conversations with his star trio of Japanese pitchers.
At this point, Dodgers front office officials said at the winter meetings this week, no final decisions will be made on whether Yoshinobu Yamamoto And Rocky Sasaki will take part in the tournament, and if Shohei Ohtani (who already confirmed his participation) will serve in addition to hitting.
“We're still working on it,” the president of baseball operations said. Andrew Friedmanwho met with Japan national team manager Hirokazu Ibata this week at the Signia by Hilton Orlando.
“We're very supportive of Samurai Japan and everything they're trying to achieve, and they're very supportive of us,” Friedman added. “It was about just keeping the lines of communication open, mutual respect and working together to help all parties.”
What would be most beneficial for the Dodgers would be if none of their three Japanese stars played in the international tournament next spring.
Each of them shouldered a heavy burden in last season's postseason, starting with Sasaki. nine appearances out of the bullpen for four starts Ohtani in a two-way role with Yamamoto playoff-best 37⅓ innings (the last 8⅔ of which came back-to-back in Games 6 and 7 World Series) most of all.
Each could also receive additional rest ahead of the 2026 campaign. Sasaki will return to the starting lineup after missing most of last year's regular season with a shoulder injury. Ohtani will begin his first full season of two-way duties since 2023. Yamamoto is shedding an unprecedented workload before last season's playoffs, setting a new career high (in either MLB or Japan) with 30 regular-season starts.
Already, it appears that several other Dodgers players will or likely will miss the event. This was stated by the general manager of the Canadian national team Greg Hamilton. Freddie Freeman Would like to participate, the first baseman has serious health issues after playing most of last season with an ankle injury. Teoscar Hernandez said in an interview that he would not play for the Dominican Republic to focus on next season. Tommy Edman, who previously represented Team Korea, is also not expected to play as he recovers from offseason ankle surgery.
Currently, the only Dodgers player other than Ohtani confirmed for the WBC is a catcher. Will Smith for Team USA.
More could be followed from Mookie Betts (who has yet to announce any decision by the WBC) Hyesung Kim (who told Korean media that he has requested permission from the Dodgers to participate) Alex Vecia (who, according to American general manager Michael Hill, is being considered for a spot on Team USA).
However, in Japan, the WBC has a higher standard of importance than in most other countries in the world (and, for its fans, an even more significant level than the World Series itself). The country has won this competition a record three times, including latest edition 2023. And the absence of star players from the tournament, or even their restriction from participating in the tournament, could threaten to become culturally controversial.
The Dodgers understand this.
Manager Dave Roberts this week described the dynamic with Japanese players as “very sensitive” and said neither he nor the organization “want to neglect what it means to them to represent their country.”
“It’s impossible to discuss emotions,” he added, “how a player might feel about this potential opportunity.”
However, that doesn't mean the Dodgers aren't concerned about the costs the tournament could incur, especially for starting pitchers, given its place on the calendar.
Next year's event runs from March 5-17, and pitchers must be ready to play nearly a month earlier than they otherwise would have been. Team Japan will also have to travel from Tokyo (where they will play group stage games) to Miami (where the knockout round will be played) during that two-week window, assuming they progress through the preliminary round as expected.
Because of this, Roberts admitted that he had hoped that Ohtani (who will continue to be treated carefully as a pitcher next season, perhaps with a week or more rest between outings) would only pitch in the tournament – and seemed to hint that this would be the likely outcome for the reigning MVP.
“Pitching is a challenge, which gives us a little break,” general manager. Brandon Gomez added. “But yeah, we'll obviously continue to have those conversations and figure it out.”
The Dodgers also have a decision to make on Sasaki, who they could issue a WBC ban after he missed most of last season on the 60-day injured list, although they have not yet indicated whether they will do so.
“We just need to sit down and talk about it as an organization,” Gomez said generally about the team process for WBC players. “Once we have more information about the players, we will have that conversation.”
While the Dodgers can't prevent Yamamoto from participating, Roberts noted that they could lobby Team Japan to keep him (and Ohtani or Sasaki if they also end up on the Japanese roster) with a more limited workload for the tournament.
“I’d like to think there would be a dialogue about restrictions and restrictions,” Roberts said. “I mean just try to give them an opportunity, but also understand that they've come off some things, some long seasons.”
There should be more clarity next month, with Team Japan hoping to complete its squad in time for the new year. Next week, Friedman said, clubs and national teams will also submit forms to MLB regarding potential player participation, allowing for a feedback period between all parties.
“I think conversations need to be had. [and] will depend on what each person takes on and what role they can take on,” Roberts said. “And what the potential costs might be.”
For now, however, when it comes to one of the more sensitive situations the Dodgers will have to deal with this offseason, “there's no more clarity than there was before,” Roberts added.
