Patience is a virtue—especially when it comes to developing elite pitching talent. That's the message from Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, who is standing firm on keeping Roki Sasaki in the major leagues despite some rocky outings in 2026.

Fans have grown frustrated watching the Japanese phenom struggle with consistency, and many are calling for a demotion to the minors to iron out the kinks. But Friedman, in a conversation with The Athletic's Katie Woo, sees things differently. He views Sasaki's time in the big leagues as a long-term investment, not a short-term experiment.

"I 100 percent appreciate and get that right now, fans don't care at all about three years from now or five years from now," Friedman explained. "But when we get there, they definitely will. So it's incumbent upon us to do everything we can to maximize the now, while also doing everything we can to put ourselves in the best position in the future, as well."

It's a balancing act every front office faces: win now while building for tomorrow. And with Sasaki, the Dodgers believe the best classroom is the big leagues. Friedman emphasized that facing major-league hitters provides invaluable feedback—the kind that can't be replicated in Triple-A.

"This is a really talented pitcher who, when delivery and throw and everything is synced up, can really spot a fastball," Friedman said. "We haven't seen that as much here and now. Some of that's the ball. Some of it may be giving hitters too much credit. Some of it may be the delivery, but those are all things that him facing the best of the best, helps us get there."

Developing starting pitchers remains one of the toughest challenges in baseball. The Dodgers, known for their player development prowess, aren't about to give up on a player they believe could anchor their rotation for years. As Woo noted on "Foul Territory," the team could reconsider as the playoffs approach, but for now—in May—this is the plan.

So while the results may not be there yet, the Dodgers are playing the long game. And for fans who want to see Sasaki in blue for years to come, that patience might just pay off in a big way.