The addition of a well-known athlete to the pool of players available this winter due to the impending posting of Chiba Lotte Marines sensation Roki Sasaki has caused a fresh twist in MLB free agency.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have Sasaki close at the top of their offseason want list because they have an unquestionable need for starting pitchers.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73711011/1530092424.0.jpg)
The Dodgers front staff has been following Sasaki’s journey for a number of years. According to reports, the 23-year-old begged the Marines to post him last year, but they refused.
As an amateur free agent, Sasaki is bound by international signing regulations, which restrict the total amount and duration of his first contract. The Dodgers could make the highest offer during the 2024 signing period since they still have $2.5 million in bonus pool funds available.
It’s currently unclear where he will end up, but according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, veteran major league pitcher Dallas Keuchel, who played with Sasaki on the Marines, thinks the right-hander would probably sign with the Dodgers:
As Keuchel continued, “I heard some rumblings about a done deal with the Dodgers—you know, having a plan for him.” And I would undoubtedly pick them as the favorites if I were Vegas, but I’m not sure. We didn’t really discuss that.
Sasaki, who is anticipated to be represented by Wasserman agent Joel Wolfe, seems to have his sights set on the Dodgers. Additionally, Wolfe is Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s current agent. Last summer, Yamamoto got the highest-paying contract for a pitcher in Major League Baseball history with the Dodgers.
Even if the Dodgers and Sasaki have a lot in common, there will still be competition from other teams for his services.
What might affect Roki Sasaki’s pursuit by the Dodgers?
The Dodgers now have the largest bonus pool available; however, each team’s allocation for the year resets if the Marines wait until the 2025 international signing season.
One of Sasaki’s favorite players, Yu Darvish, is with the San Diego Padres, but they don’t have the money for the 2024 signing window to properly court him. However, the Padres are probably going to be interested in his services if the Marines wait.
However, the Dodgers provide their starting lineup with a six-man rotation and an inherent model of success for Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani.
