The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres are hot on the tail of Roki Sasaki, the most exciting international prospect on the market. But only one of them can snag him.
Sasaki is technically an international amateur so he can't sign a big MLB contract. Because he's limited to a minor league deal, teams can only sweeten the pot so much. It looks like the Dodgers, Padres and others are trying to stockpile as much honey as they can.
In this case, the honey is in the international bonus pool. According to Mark Feinsand, both the Dodgers and Padres have been calling around trying to trade for more bonus pool money. And they're not alone.
One executive said: “There are a number of teams asking for international money some that you would guess and some that you would not. [LA & SD] are certainly reaching out but they aren’t alone, other teams are recognizing opportunities.”
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) January 16, 2025
Feinsand quoted one unnamed executive: "There are a number of teams asking for international money some that you would guess and some that you would not. [LA & SD] are certainly reaching out but they aren’t alone, other teams are recognizing opportunities."
Roki Sasaki has Dodgers, Padres scrambling to increase their bonus pools
Bonus pools aren't created equally. While each MLB team is allowed an allotment to spend on bonuses for international signings, the amount is based on market, revenue, record and other factors. Some teams have a full pot of $7.6 million. The Padres have $6.3 million. The Dodgers are among the lowest with $5.1 million.
Sasaki is valuable enough to command a team's entire pool himself. The Dodgers may need to increase their pool just to match what's available to other teams. The Padres would want to respond, of course.
Neither the Dodgers nor Padres can create an infinite pool of money though. Trades can increase a team's pool by as much as 60 percent. So, Los Angeles could add just over $3 million to their pot, taking it to $8.1 million or so. San Diego can bring in another $3.7 million or so, maxing out their pool at $10 million.
Theoretically, a big enough trade could give the Padres a significant financial advantage over the Dodgers. But there are other teams who could end up with even more to offer. There are eight teams that started with $7.6 million in their coffers. A 60 percent increase would put them at $12.1 million.
International bonus pools for 2025:
- $7.6 million: Athletics, Brewers, Mariners, Marlins, Rays, Reds, Tigers, Twins
- $6.9 million: Diamondbacks, Guardians, Orioles, Pirates, Rockies, Royals
- $6.3 million: Angels, Blue Jays, Braves, Cubs, Mets, Nationals, Padres, Phillies, Rangers, Red Sox, White Sox, Yankees
- $5.6 million: Astros, Cardinals
- $5.1 million: Dodgers, Giants
The Mets used the bulk of their bonus pool, $5 million, to sign 17-year-old shortstop Elian Peña from the Dominican Republic. When you consider the potential value Sasaki could bring a team on and off the field, his value vastly exceeds that figure.
How high are the Dodgers and Padres willing to go? They're about to show us.