Roki Sasaki is set to become the latest Japanese star to make the jump to MLB as the Chiba Lotte Marines announced they will post him as an international free agent before the start of the 2025 season.
Sasaki could be posted at any time, but the Marines will reportedly wait until the next international signing period begins on Jan. 15, 2025.
The Los Angeles Dodgers emerged as early favorites to sign Sasaki, but complicating factors could affect their pursuit. There are concerns that the right-hander is nursing an injury and he also may prefer signing with a small-market team.
Despite those potential obstacles, the Dodgers are still considered the overwhelming favorites to sign Sasaki even if there is some allure to potentially becoming teammates with Yu Darvish on the San Diego Padres, via Jon Heyman of the New York Post:
Japanese star starting pitcher Roki Sasaki is said to admire Padres star Yu Darvish, but the Dodgers are still seen as the heavy favorite.
Everyone else should be considered a long shot.
In addition to the aforementioned hurdles, the Dodgers won’t have a clear monetary advantage over other interested teams for Sasaki.
That’s because the 23-year-old will be subject to international signing rules as an amateur free agent rather than entering MLB free agency with no limitations on his contract.
The Dodgers could still be appealing to Sasaki for other reasons, such as their recent success and geographical location.
The star pitcher could also be intrigued by the idea of reuniting with 2023 World Baseball Classic teammates Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Roki Sasaki’s agent upset
Amid some chatter that Sasaki already has a deal in place to join the Dodgers, agent Joel Wolfe of Wasserman pushed back on that notion and said his client is still considering all 30 teams.
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