Although Roki Sasaki can’t officially sign until Jan. 15, 2025, the sweepstakes for his services are in full force with multiple clubs making their pitch to sign the international free agent.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are aggressively pursuing Sasaki with president of baseball operations calling it a “major priority” for the club. They have long coveted the 23-year-old ace and have waited for this moment for years.
The Dodgers are also considered the favorites to sign Sasaki and the expectation is that he ultimately ends up on the West Coast.
Thus far, Sasaki had reportedly met with just five teams: the San Francisco Giants, Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees and New York Mets.
But now, the Dodgers are among the teams that have had a meeting with Sasaki, according to Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
Add the Dodgers to the list of teams with confirmed in-person meetings with highly sought-after international free agent Roki Sasaki.
It’s unconfirmed when the meeting took place, but it’s good news for the Dodgers that they were granted a meeting. During the Winter Meetings, Sasaki’s agent Joel Wolfe said at least 20 teams reached out to express their interest.
Sasaki is unlikely to meet with all of them, and he has spent the last few years tracking the success of teams, including their player development and winning.
All the meetings have been held in Los Angeles, where Wolfe and his agency are. Sasaki will likely narrow down the list of teams and meet with them in their cities at some point soon.
There is currently a freeze on international signings, which began on Dec. 16 and lasts until Jan. 15, 2025, and he 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.
Roki Sasaki signing process
Sasaki is subject to the international signing rules for amateur players because he does not have six years of professional experience and he’s under 25 years old.
That means his contract is capped at what teams have available in their international bonus pool. When the 2025 international signing period begins, eight teams will have $7.55 million available, six teams will have just shy of $7 million, and no team has less than $5.1 million available.
The Dodgers are one of the clubs with just $5.1 million available.
The good news for them is Wolfe has advised him to focus on the fit with his next club, rather than the money he will receive.
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