MLB Power Rankings: 5 biggest threats to Dodgers if they sign Roki Sasaki

It's not a done deal just yet, but as things stand, it sure looks like Roki Sasaki is set to become the newest star in the Los Angeles Dodgers firmament. The Japanese righty did his due diligence over the past few weeks — whether because he genuinely hadn't yet made up his mind or just wanted to make everyone think he hadn't — but in the end, despite visits to both the Toronto Blue Jays and San Diego Padres, the Dodgers are simply operating at a different level than the rest of the league right now. Combine that with the convenience of being on the West Coast, and it's hard to shake the feeling that this has been a foregone conclusion for a while.

L.A. already had a loaded lineup without really any identifable weaknesses after re-signing Teoscar Hernandez and adding Hyeseong Kim and Michael Conforto. If they've added even more depth to a plethora of starting pitchers, and while they could still use another reliever or two, this would clearly be the most talented team in the league entering the season.

Which begs the question: If the team does infact land Sasaki, should we just hand them the 2025 Commissioner's Trophy now? Other teams, from the New York Mets and New York Yankees to the Chicago Cubs, have made their own splashes this winter, but how would any of them match up with Los Angeles in a postseason series as things currently stand? Let's take a look at the biggest threats to the Dodgers' repeat bid with Sasaki on board.

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5. Chicago Cubs

The Milwaukee Brewers are probably sitting there thinking, "what about us?" But the Brew Crew lost Devin Williams and have largely stood pat otherwise, while the Cubs finally took a big swing in adding former Houston Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker. This is a deep, dangerous lineup, and while desperately need to address their bullpen and add at least one more starter, they still have the money and the prospect depth to make any sort of deal they'd like over the next few weeks.

If top third base prospect Matt Shaw hits the ground running, and Chicago signs, say, Jack Flaherty before Spring Training, this team has the lineup depth and the star power at the top of the rotation to be awfully dangerous.

4. Arizona Diamondbacks

Hey, don't laugh; this team is just 15 months removed from a World Series appearance, remember? Losing Christian Walker hurts, but adding Josh Naylor for peanuts from the Cleveland Guardians eases the pain a bit. And more importantly, Arizona looks to have a loaded starting rotation, adding Corbin Burnes to a group that already featured Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, Eduardo Rodriguez and Brandon Pfaadt.

The Diamondbacks are probably one marquee reliever away from feeling really good about their chances, and sharing a division with the Dodgers will make things tough. But sleep on this team at your own peril, especially if Corbin Carroll looks like he did down the stretch of the 2024 season.

3. New York Yankees

The Yankees pivoted quickly after losing out on Juan Soto, signing Max Fried to give Gerrit Cole and running mate atop the rotation and acquiring Cody Bellinger, Devin Williams and Paul Goldschmidt to address needs in the outfield, the bullpen and at first base, respectively. Combine a deep starting rotation with another MVP-caliber campaign from Aaron Judge, and that's more than enough to make New York the favorite in an American League that's seen the Houston Astros, Baltimore Orioles and Cleveland Guardians either take a step back or simply tread water this offseason.

Is it enough to get them over the hump in a potential World Series rematch, though? I'm a bit skeptical, especially considering Brian Cashman's refusal to address the glaring hole in his infield. This is a good lineup, but it's not a great one, and it's hard to imagine that the Yankees have done enough to close the very evident gap between themselves and the Dodgers that we all saw last October.

2. Philadelphia Phillies

Few teams have had a more disappointing offseason than the Phillies, who've largely stood pat while their National League rivals loaded up. But for all of the consternation around this team right now, they still have one of the deepest lineups in baseball, and they still have Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Ranger Suarez and Cristopher Sanchez in the rotation. That's an awfully dangerous foundation, and if Dave Dombrowski can find a way to add another bat (preferably one that's a bit less strikeout-prone), there's no reason why this team can't compete with anyone else in the NL.

Of course, that being said, it's hard to ignore how this team has flamed out of the postseason in each of the last two years. The weak spots in the lineup still remain, and the bullpen has only gotten weaker, which has probably dropped them down a notch in the divisional pecking order.

1. New York Mets

The Mets are by no means a perfect team; straight-up, it would be hard to pick them over a Dodgers team that features Sasaki along with all of L.A.'s other stars. But New York arrived in the NLCS well ahead of schedule in 2024, and they added one of the very best hitters in baseball to the picture in Juan Soto. The team's stance on Pete Alonso is concerning — David Stearns clearly read the Polar Bear's market correctly, but he's still a very valuable bat that this team could really use — but I'm choosing to read that as posturing ahead of an eventual deal.

And if New York does bring its slugging first baseman back, their lineup looks awfully dangerous. The rotation is more of a question mark, but Kodai Senga's return should help a ton, and why can't the team that just resurrected Luis Severino and Sean Manaea do the same with pitchers like Clay Holmes, Frankie Montas and Griffin Canning? Those are questions the Dodgers don't have to answer, and again, I'd pick Los Angeles in a seven-game series without hesitating all that much. But New York has the highest ceiling if everything breaks right.