LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers announced their deal with prized Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki on Wednesday, agreeing to a minor league contract with a $6.5 million signing bonus.

A 23-year-old right-hander whose fastball tops 100 mph, Sasaki announced his intention to sign with the Dodgers on Friday and was to be introduced at a news conference Wednesday at Dodger Stadium. He joined fellow Japanese stars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the Dodgers in a decision many baseball executives long expected.

Sasaki had until Thursday to finalize a contract. He was considered an international amateur under Major League Baseball’s rules because he is under 25 and does not have six years service in the Japanese major leagues, making him subject to international signing bonus pools.

The Dodgers started with a pool of $5,146,200 but increased it to $8,102,800 with a pair of trades last week, acquiring $1.5 million from Cincinnati and $1,456,600 from Philadelphia.

The Dodgers are planning to use a six-man rotation, which could ease Sasaki’s transition to Major League Baseball, as the Dodgers attempt to become the first repeat champion since the New York Yankees from 1998 to 2000.

Elsewhere:

n Former World Series MVP Dave Stewart is returning to the Athletics in a front office role. The A’s announced Wednesday that Stewart will be a special assistant to player development this season. Stewart will assist director of player development Ed Sprague in his new role.

n Reliever Paul Sewald and the Cleveland Guardians agreed Wednesday to a $7 million, one-year contract, adding a setup arm for closer Emmanuel Clase.