New York Yankees' Roki Sasaki whiff comes with a silver lining

The Roki Sasaki sweepstakes are nearing an end, and the New York Yankees have reportedly been informed they will no longer be in the running. Per YES Network's Jack Curry, the Japanese pitching sensation will be taking his talents somewhere other than the Bronx this winter.

Sasaki has slightly over a week to make a free agency decision. The 2025 international signing period is set to open on Jan. 15 and his 45-day posting window expires after 5 p.m. ET on Jan. 23. In other words, time is of the essence for the 23-year-old, so he's beginning to consolidate his choices. Unfortunately, that means the Yankees (among others) are no longer in contention for him.

However, if there's any positive aspect to the Yankees losing out on Sasaki, the list of teams still vying for his services is predominantly NL-based. With that in mind, New York shouldn't face the ex-Chiba Lotte Marines star often, making it easier to stomach his looming outcome.

For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop between now and the MLB offseason.

Roki Sasaki is likely headed to the NL, which bodes well for the Yankees

Several suitors remain alive for Sasaki: The San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago Cubs and Seattle Mariners. While half the clubs reside in the AL, two NL squads appear to be the favorites to land him.

Signs point toward San Diego and Los Angeles being the frontrunners for Sasaki, while the Rangers were recently eliminated as a dark horse candidate. So, the stars are aligning for the right-hander to represent the NL and get out of the Yankees' hair -- for the most part.

With only 46 of 162 regular-season games on the annual MLB calendar being interleague matchups, the Yankees can slightly exhale a sigh of relief. Typically, missing out on someone of Sasaki's caliber can be a crushing blow to an organization. But knowing he'll be out of sight and out of mind makes it an easier pill to swallow.

Moreover, given New York's already-strong starting pitching rotation and offseason acquisition of two-time All-Star left-hander Max Fried, they should be able to manage sans Sasaki. Of course, the Yankees would happily sign the latter, though their staff of hurlers is equipped to succeed with or without him.