Roki Sasaki was officially posted by the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) on Dec. 10 and immediately became one of the most coveted free agents this offseason.
The right-hander has drawn interest from a plethora of teams, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, New York Yankees, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers, among others.
There was a belief that Sasaki may prefer pitching on the West Coast and potentially with a team that has a Japanese player, but recent reports suggest those are not deal breakers.
However, many around the league would be surprised if Sasaki doesn’t end up on the West Coast, via Jon Heyman of the New York Post:
The Mets could sell their recent pitching successes and the Yankees their long history of winning.
But it’ll be a shock if he doesn’t land on the West Coast.
The Cubs and Rangers, with histories of success with Japanese stars, also received audiences.
The Mets and Yankees are the two prominent East Coast teams being linked to Sasaki. They both have a need for Sasaki and are two of the better clubs in baseball, but geographical location could be the deciding factor.
Sasaki is set to join MLB after four seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball that saw him post a 2.10 ERA and 505 strikeouts across 394.2 innings.
There is currently a freeze on international signings, which began on Dec. 16 and lasts until Jan. 15, 2025. Sasaki will only have until Jan. 23 to sign a contract because international free agents are given 45 days from their posting date to sign a deal.
Dodgers ‘remain favored’ over Padres for Roki Sasaki
While the Padres have some intriguing factors working for them, the Dodgers are still considered the favorites to sign.
President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman confirmed Sasaki is a “major priority” for the club and said they have long coveted the star pitcher.
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