MLB Insider: What I'm hearing about Roki Sasaki and his 3 rumored finalists

The Roki Sasaki sweepstakes are coming to an end, and it’s down to the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays for the superstar Japanese right-hander.

Sasaki, will decide on his team by the closing of his posting window on Jan. 23. He is among the top pitchers to come to Major League Baseball from Japan and, had he waited a couple of years to come to MLB, he very well could have been in line for a contract near, or above, Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s 12-year, $325 million contract.

The sentiment among executives involved in the bidding for Sasaki is that no one knows which way he is leaning. People close to the situation have asked “What are you hearing?”, mainly because not much information is available. Both Sasaki and his agent, Joel Wolfe of Wasserman, have kept his free agency a mystery, much like Wolfe did with Yamamoto last winter.

Here’s what I’m hearing on the Sasaki sweepstakes.

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Los Angeles Dodgers

As first reported by The Athletic, Sasaki is meeting with the Dodgers, and some of its players, in Los Angeles on Tuesday. The meeting is expected to feature a number of Dodgers star players.

Since Sasaki was posted, the Dodgers have been seen as the favorite to sign Sasaki. Unlike Yamamoto, Sasaki will only command a team’s international bonus pool money, and will only sign a minor-league contract. If signed, he would pair with Yamamoto atop the Dodgers’ rotation and give them one of the most dynamic young duos in baseball.

It would hardly be a surprise if the Dodgers signed Sasaki. But Wolfe has spent much of the offseason refuting the notion that there’s a handshake agreement in place between his client and the Dodgers. But it’s clear based on Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman’s words, and the organization's actions, that Sasaki is a “major priority.”

San Diego Padres

In most offseasons, the Padres are among the most active teams in free agency. A.J. Preller is as aggressive as any executive in baseball.

But the Padres have largely been inactive this winter, mainly because the organization has little flexibility to add to the payroll. If anything, Preller would have to move a salary off the major-league roster in order to upgrade other parts of the roster.

But Sasaki is a unique case and all evidence suggests that the Padres are incredibly aggressive and interested here. The Padres also employ Yu Darvish, who is Sasaki’s mentor, and that could very well be a significant factor when Sasaki eventually makes his decision.

For a while, my thinking has been that the Sasaki sweepstakes will come down to the Dodgers and Padres. There’s been little to suggest that thinking is wrong.

Toronto Blue Jays

That being said, the Blue Jays met with Sasaki in Toronto last week and word is, the team feels confident and comfortable after their pitch.

The Blue Jays, however, have a different pitch than the Dodgers and Padres. They were not a playoff team in 2024. Their long-term future is in question with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette as free agents after the 2025 season. They can offer Sasaki the opportunity to lead the franchise, bring them back to prominence, and potentially offer significant marketing opportunities in Toronto.

My guess is that the Blue Jays are on the outside looking in on the Sasaki sweepstakes. But the fact they got a meeting in Toronto underscores that they should not be discounted. They pose a real threat here.