The Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series after signing two Japanese superstars. With Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto starring for the team, they were a very popular team in Japan. Enter Roki Sasaki, the 23-year-old phenom who is coming to MLB. The Dodgers are connected to Sasaki in free agency, with many assuming he would end up in LA. His agent told Evan Drellich of The Athletic that those reports are overblown.
“While a bunch of executives who should know me better and do a lot of business with me insult my integrity by insinuating that I would be a part of some type of nefarious agreement,” Wasserman's Joel Wolfe told Drellich. “In reality, this is just poor sportsmanship.”
It's safe to say there is no handshake deal between the Dodgers and Roki Sasaki. It does not mean that he won't end up in LA, but it will be a free market for the pitcher, per his agent. The issue for Sasaki is that he cannot get a big-money deal like Yamamoto did. Because he is under 25, he can only sign a rookie contract.
There will be no bidding war for Sasaki, which equalizes the playing field. Where will Saski end up? Will it be the Dodgers despite the recent reports?
Best Roki Sasaki free agency landing spots
The Dodgers are still the best fit for Roki Saski this year. With their big-money pitchers topping the rotation, there would not be a ton of pressure on the young pitcher to star. If he went somewhere else, there would be unrealistic expectations to be an ace in his first rookie season.
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Outside of the Dodgers, the Padres would be a great fit for Sasaki. He idolized Yu Darvish growing up and would not need to be the ace there either. With Dylan Cease, Michael King, and Darvish ahead of him, a sluggish start would not be the worst thing for the team. Despite their NLDS loss, the Padres are a strong team with World Series aspirations.
According to SportsBettingAG, the Mets are the third-favorites to land Sasaki. While the West Coast is the more likely destination, the promise of a big contract from Steve Cohen could sway him. The Dodgers took down the Mets in the NLCS, so Cohen should be pushing to improve and take players away from LA at the same time.
Wherever Roki Sasaki lands, it will not be because of a handshake deal. His agent says there is nothing between the player and the Dodgers and the Padres and Mets can sign him.
