“This guy’s pretty special,” Dodgers and Padres remain favorites in Roki Sasaki signing race following LA’s sit-down meeting

MLB world is waiting for more updates on Roki Sasaki’s free agency and a possible hint about a favorite team.

“This guy’s pretty special,” Dodgers and Padres remain favorites in Roki Sasaki signing race following LA’s sit-down meeting

Roki Sasaki [Image Credit: Larry Brown Sports]

Since the conclusion of the 2023 WBC, Japanese ace pitcher Roki Sasaki has been in the spotlight of the MLB world. After his recent posting by the Chiba Lotte Marines, Sasaki is now waiting to join his dream team and make his debut in the majors.

Mostly all 30 teams are interested in the pitcher but as of now only a couple have had a face-to-face meeting. The teams that already had a sit-down with Sasaki are – the NY Mets, NY Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, and San Francisco Giants.

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The latest team to meet with Roki Sasaki is the Los Angeles Dodgers who are also considered the favorites in the race. Their connection to two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto can be their selling points as they were teammates during the World Baseball Classic.

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Ohtani noted that while they are friends and keep in touch with each other he’ll respect whichever team Sasaki wants to join in for his debut. Furthermore, since he is joining the majors at 23, he’ll be subjected to restrictions making him available for a limited contract.

This guy’s pretty special, man, but also ability to pitch inside. I saw him pitch inside. I love the ability to do that, not hitting guys or setting up everything else in the outer half of the corner, against right to the lefties, to make him feel himself more efficient.

Dodger’s broadcaster Jose Mota during interview with Dodgers Nation’s Doug McKain.
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Roki Sasaki

This makes the Japanese star more appealing to any MLB team. Apart from the LA Dodgers, the San Diego Padres are also considered the favorites due to their connection to veteran Yu Darvish, whom Sasaki admires.

Are NY Yankees in mix of favorites for Roki Sasaki?

The New York Yankees are one of the first teams to get in contact with Roki Sasaki and his agent Joel Wolfe. Even before his posting, Yankees manager Aaron Boone, and even executive Brian Cashman talked about their interest in the Japanese pitcher.

Roki Sasaki
Roki Sasaki (Image via NY Times)

They even have international pool money to lure the ace pitcher into the 2025 rotation, making them a possible favorite in the race. Moreover, they have cultivated Japanese talents over the years from Hideki Matsui to Masahiro Tanaka. 

Sasaki even mentioned Tanaka as one of his idols which provides a possible route to MLB’s one of the top teams. However, earlier in his posting, Wolfe mentioned how he feels a team with a smaller market would be ideal for Sasaki’s debut.

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Since having a chaotic and stressful media experience in Japan, he might not want to get caught in the limelight given how he already is. While Sasaki is not expected to sign before the 2025 international signing period begins, he’ll be sent back to the NPB club if he remains unsigned within the 45-day window.