Dodgers May Not Have Huge Advantage in Roki Sasaki Sweepstakes After All

Valentina Martinez | Jan 2, 2025

Dec 10, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; Agent Joel Wolfe, agent for Roki Sasaki, speaks with the media at Hilton Anatole. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Dodgers were touted as the favorites in the Roki Sasaki sweepstakes, but this may not be the case after all.

The Dodgers have always had the most to offer Sasaki. Aside from being a World Series contender each season, L.A. provides a comfortable lifestyle, big market size (more endorsement opportunities), and a strong player development department. Furthermore, the Dodgers also have former WBC teammates of Sasaki in Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

The Dodgers having two of the best Japanese pitchers in their rotation was speculated to be a major factor as to why L.A. was considered the favorite in the Sasaki sweepstakes. However, Joel Wolfe, Sasaki's agent, revealed a team having Japanese players isn't a concern.

“We’ve had numerous conversations about team location, market size, teams’ success … but he doesn’t seem overly concerned about whether a team has Japanese players or not,” Wolfe said, via MLB.com's Sonja Chen. “In the past, as I’ve represented Japanese players, that was sometimes an issue, but it was never a topic of discussion.”

The Dodgers and the San Diego Padres were always speculated to be the top contenders to land Sasaki because both organizations had the best Japanese players in MLB. While Ohtani and Yamamoto are some of the stars in the Dodgers rotation, the Padres have veteran pitcher Yu Darvish who is rumored to have a strong connection with Sasaki.

Sasaki grew up admiring Darvish, which had supposedly given the Padres a major advantage over other teams. But based on Wolfe's comments, neither the Dodgers or the Padres have the upper hand by having Japanese players on their teams.

However, the Dodgers are among at least seven teams to have already met with Sasaki in the first round of in-person meetings. Sasaki is expected to sign in the next international signing period which opens Jan. 15.

Wolfe revealed 20 teams are interested in Sasaki, but his client has yet to meet with all of them. Sasaki has been labeled the best bargain in baseball because of his affordability, since he is limited to signing a minor-league contract with an international signing bonus.

In four seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball, Sasaki posted a 29-15 record with a 2.10 ERA. Although Sasaki dealt with some injury issues last season, he had a 10-5 record with a 2.35 ERA.

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