Roki Sasaki lists Top 3 teams as interested organizations to sign with in free agency
Japanese ace pitcher Roki Sasaki finally narrows down on MLB teams; lists 3 teams in 20 teams race in free agency.
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Roki Sasaki [Image Credit: Pinstripes Alley]
Japanese ace pitcher Roki Sasaki finally lists his favorite Top 3 teams in Major League Baseball as the free agency timeline draws closer. He is “likely” to announce which team he’ll choose for his major league debut by this week, according to industry reports.
The final teams in the race are – the Los Angeles Dodgers, the San Diego Padres, and the Toronto Blue Jays. Since his incredible performance in WBC, the pitcher was linked to the Dodgers as a favorite to sign with.
However, following his international posting by Chiba Lotte Marines Sasaki and his agent Joel Wolfe firmly noted that there weren’t favorites and they’ll take time to sort out the teams. Seems like the wait time is already over as he is expected to sign by January 23.
The Padres and Blue Jays are also heavy favorites as top destinations for the pitcher. Wolfe earlier mentioned how a smaller market would be better for Roki Sasaki’s debut and they surely fit the bill. Furthermore, the Padres have one of his favorite role models Yu Darvish in the rotation. Darvish talked about how his team would be an ideal place for the 23-year-old and they might get his services.
The finalists for Japanese star right-hander Roki Sasaki are the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays, sources tell ESPN. Sasaki will decide on his team by the closing of his posting window Jan. 23.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 13, 2025
As for the Dodgers, they have two-way player Shohei Ohtani and star pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the lineup. Both of them were Sasaki’s teammates in the World Baseball Classic. On the other hand, the Blue Jays shocked the MLB world with their sudden listing.
Roki Sasaki’s free agency saga begins its final race prior to January 23
About 20 MLB teams among 30 were interested in Roki Sasaki’s free agency race. However, the 23-year-old has already listed his top 3 teams and is expected to pen a contract close to his final signing date of January 23.
The San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees, and New York Mets are some top teams to have been eliminated from the race. Since the rookie is debuting before 25 in MLB he’ll be subjected to major league rules.
Roki Sasaki is 'likely' to announce which MLB team he will sign with this week, per @jonmorosi pic.twitter.com/oFkCDsTdDi
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) January 13, 2025
Sasaki can only pen down a minor-league contract not exceeding $10 million in free agency. In 2017, Ohtani also penned a minor-league deal worth $2.3 million. In comparison, Yamamoto entered the big league at the age of 25 and successfully signed a 12-year $325 million deal. It’ll be interesting to see which team finally gets to sign the ace pitcher in his rookie stage and whether they’ll be there for the long haul in the future.
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Kaushani Chatterjee
(2137 Articles Published)