There has been no shortage of speculation that Roki Sasaki's decision to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers wasn't the result of a meticulous free-agent process, but rather a handshake deal made months or even years earlier.

When pitcher Roki Sasaki announced he would sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers Friday, baseball fans were predictably peeved. Three months after winning the World Series, the Dodgers appear poised to dominate for the foreseeable future.

Prior to the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball officially posting right-hander Roki Sasaki for major league clubs last month, Major League Baseball conducted an investigation before authorizing Sasaki’s posting.