Dodgers’ NL West Rival Have Been Told Roki Sasaki Won’t Sign With Them
The San Francisco Giants have been informed Roki Sasaki will not sign with the organization, according to general manager Zack Minasian. Sasaki is likely nearing a decision if he is already declining teams.
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The Japanese phenom is expected to sign this week, according to multiple reports. The Los Angeles Dodgers are still in the running for Sasaki from what is publicly known. Though one NL West rival has been eliminated in the Sasaki sweepstakes, the Dodgers' biggest competitor has always been the San Diego Padres.
The Padres were recently selected as the new favorite by MLB executives to land the 23-year-old pitcher. Seven teams have reportedly met with Sasaki, including three NL West teams.
However, it remains unknown whether the Dodgers have been granted a second meeting with Sasaki. Joel Wolfe of Wasserman, Sasaki's agent, provided more context surrounding the second round of meetings.
“The timeline for Round 2 is going to lead right up until he signs,” Wolfe said, via Will Sammon of The Athletic. “We’re still talking and having Zoom calls. So I don’t have a precise timeline for that, like we did for the meetings. Teams will be notified at some point if there’s going to be additional meetings or travel or something like that. But other than that, I don’t believe there’s going to be any specific timeline.”
With Sasaki expected to sign this week, the Dodgers will likely get their answer in the coming days. The Dodgers recently put all other international signings on hold, an indication the organization is preparing to offer the entire sum of their international bonus pool to Sasaki.
Sasaki is regarded as one of the most talented young pitchers in the world. President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said signing Sasaki was a "major priority" for the Dodgers this winter.
Through four seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball, Sasaki posted a 29-15 record with a 2.10 ERA and 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings. Last season, he dealt with some injury issues but had a 10-5 record and produced a 2.35 ERA.
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