Latest buzz on free agent Roki Sasaki: Dodgers, Padres still seen as favorites

Here is the latest buzz surrounding Japanese free agent right-hander Roki Sasaki, who is expected to sign with an MLB team in January…

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Dec. 27, 9:05 a.m.

As the baseball world begins to return its attention to the hot stove after the Christmas lull, the Sasaki sweepstakes are nearing a conclusion ahead of the Jan. 23 deadline.

However, the favorites remain the same, with Jon Heyman of The New York Post noting that while the Yankees and Mets have had meetings with the right-hander they understand that it is the Dodgers, followed by the Padres, who are in pole position.

Heyman said it would be a shock if Sasaki doesn’t land on the West Coast and a source assessed the Dodgers’ chances as “Better than 50/50 but not 100 percent.”

The Cubs and Rangers also have met with the pitcher, who can’t officially sign with a team until Jan. 15.

Dec. 24, 3:30 p.m.

The Rangers met with Sasaki last week, GM Chris Young told reporters on Monday.

As is the case with the Mets, the Rangers’ rotation seems to be just about set after bringing right-hander Nathan Eovaldi back on a three-year deal this offseason, but the 23-year-old has the upside and potential that any team would be willing to make room for.

Texas was one of eight teams who went to Japan for one of Sasaki’s starts earlier this year.

The Giants are also believed to be among the teams who have met with the right-hander, according to a report from the San Francisco Chronicle.

More clubs will likely jump into the mix after the holidays, as Sasaki is unable to sign until Jan. 15.

Dec. 20, 7:55 p.m.

The Yankees have officially met with Sasaki, according to Jon Heyman of The Post. In fact, the Yankees pitched to Sasaki on the same day as the Mets.

SNY’s Andy Martino reported that the Mets met with Sasaki in Los Angeles on Thursday, and the Yankees reportedly also met with the Japanese star in California. The specifics of both meetings remain unclear but this brings the number of known teams to meet with Sasaki to three: the Mets, Yankees and Cubs, who reportedly met with him on Friday.

The Dodgers and Padres are two teams who were granted a meeting with Sasaki but it’s unknown if those talks were already had. On Friday, Phillies GM Dave Dombrowski confirmed his team’s interest in the right-hander but revealed they were not invited, as of now.

Sasaki is unable to sign with a club until Jan. 15.

Dec. 20, 6:15 p.m.

As teams begin to meet and present to Sasaki, it seems one contending club is on the outside looking in.

Phillies GM Dave Dombrowski spoke to the media, including MLB’s Paul Casella, on Friday and was asked about the organization’s current offseason plans. Dombrowski revealed that the team is likely done with “impactful” signings and added this on Sasaki:

“We have not been invited to talk to him at this point,” he said. “We sent in our original info. They know we would very much like to have a presentation, but we haven’t been invited to the table.”

So far, the Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, Padres and Cubs have all been linked to the Japanese star, and have either met or are planning to meet with Sasaki and his camp.

Dec. 20, 3:30 p.m.

Just a day after meeting with the Mets, Sasaki also has a sit-down scheduled with the Chicago Cubs, according to Bruce Levine of 670thescore.com.

The two sides are meeting on Friday in Los Angeles, where all of them are taking place.

Sasaki’s signing window was officially opened nine days ago during the Winter Meetings and it closes on Jan. 23, but it appears likely that he won’t be deciding on his new club until sometime after the New Year.

The Mets and Cubs are the first two known teams to have held in-person meetings with the Japanese star, but there are certainly numerous others in the mix including the Yankees, Dodgers, and Padres.

Dec. 19, 6:49 p.m.

A day after the Yankees revealed they had plans for an in-person meeting with Sasaki, the Mets held a meeting with the right-hander on Thursday, SNY MLB Insider Andy Martino reported.

The in-person meeting took place in Los Angeles, according to The New York Post, making the Mets the first known team to hold such a visit with the free agent.

The signing window opened for the Japanese star nine days ago and closes on Jan. 23, and it appears likely he will not decide until after the New Year and can’t sign until Jan. 15.

Sasaki can only be signed using a team’s international bonus pool money, which ranges from around $5 million to $7.5 million. The Mets and Yankees have the same amount (a shade under $6.3 million), but fit and other factors appear to be a bigger factor for the 23-year-old. This is good news for New York, as they have verbally committed around $5 million to 17-year-old shortstop prospect Elian Peña. The Mets can add more money in a trade.

Dec. 18, 1:54 p.m.

The Yankees have an in-person meeting scheduled with Sasaki, GM Brian Cashman told reporters.

Sasaki is expected to spend the holidays in Japan before returning to the United States ahead of choosing a team.

He will sign between Jan. 15 and Jan. 23, when his negotiating window closes.

If the Yanks land Sasaki, it stands to reason that they will utilize a six-man rotation.

New York’s current rotation consists of Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, Luis Gil, and Clarke Schmidt.

Dec. 12, 4:53 p.m.

Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said the club has prepared a presentation to pitch to Sasaki.

“What I can comment on is he’s a really talented pitcher. Whoever gets him is going to have a very talented young pitcher going forward,” Stearns said. “We’re certainly going to give it our best shot. It’s very difficult in these processes to truly understand what a player’s preference is. This isn’t a normal free agent recruitment process. So, we’re going to submit our presentations and our materials just like everybody else and we’ll wait for his camp’s feedback.”

When asked about Sasaki potentially not wanting to be in a market like New York, Stearns said “We have not gotten that feedback yet.”

“We highlight a variety of different things,” Stearns said of the club’s planned presentation to Sasaki. “The first is who we are as an organization, what we believe in, what we think maybe makes us a little bit unique compared to other teams he might be considering. We highlight the various services we can provide for a player. We highlight our familiarity with transitioning a Japanese starter to the major league schedule. We highlight our pitching apparatus, our health apparatus, our nutrition apparatus. We want him to know that we have the resources and we have the ability to make this transition as smooth as possible.”

Dec. 10, 12:03 p.m.

The Mets and Padres are viewed as the “early favorites” for Sasaki, reports Jim Bowden of The Athletic.

Per Bowden, the three things that could influence Sasaki’s decision are his ability to land endorsements, his desire to win, and wanting to join a club that has a focus on pitching development.

The Mets can offer all three of those things, and their pitching coach could end up being a determining factor in landing Sasaki.

“I know that the Wasserman Group, who are representing him, are very high on Jeremy Hefner, and that does have some influence here,” Bowden said.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan recently noted that the Mets are among a handful of teams who are expected to be significant players for Sasaki.

Dec. 9, 10:47 a.m.

Sasaki will be coming to MLB for the 2025 season.

The 23-year-old flamethrower has been posted by the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball.

His signing window opens on Dec. 10 and closes on Jan. 23.

Both the Mets and Yankees have been linked to Sasaki. And while buzz has tied him to the Dodgers, recent reports have indicated that he could sign with Los Angeles is not close to a sure thing.

In addition to the Mets, Yankees, and Dodgers, the Padres are viewed as one of the main threats in the Sasaki sweepstakes.

Since Sasaki is being posted during the 2024-25 offseason and before his 25th birthday, he will be considered an international amateur free agent and can sign only a minor league contract. MLB rules do not allow players under 25 and with fewer than six professional seasons to sign anything but a minor league deal. His deal would count toward his signing team’s international bonus pool allotment.

Sasaki had a 2.35 ERA, 129 strikeouts, and just 32 walks in 111 innings and 18 starts last season. However, he did miss some time due to a torn oblique and right arm soreness. Over four seasons in NPB, Sasaki had a 2.10 ERA, 505 strikeouts, and 88 walks in 64 starts over 394.2 innings.