Sasaki announces he is signing with Dodgers
MLB.com is keeping track of the latest news and rumors surrounding Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki, who is seeking an MLB opportunity via the posting system.
At 23 years old, Sasaki is subject to international bonus pool money restrictions, which are placed on foreign-born players unless they are at least 25 years of age and have played as a professional in a foreign league recognized by Major League Baseball for a minimum of six seasons.
Jan. 17: Sasaki announces he is signing with Dodgers
Sasaki announced Friday on Instagram that he is signing with the Dodgers. He will join countrymen Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto on their power-packed staff as the Dodgers vie to repeat as World Series champions in 2025. The Padres and Blue Jays were the other reported finalists in the mix for the 23-year-old. More >
Jan. 17: Padres reportedly out of Sasaki running; Blue Jays add bonus pool money
The Padres are no longer in the running to sign Sasaki, according to a report by veteran reporter Francys Romero. That comes just days after a report that Sasaki was deciding between the Dodgers, Padres and Blue Jays.
Romero added that the Padres are reportedly close to agreements with other top international prospects, which would take up the bonus pool money they would have needed to sign Sasaki.
“Just about everyone has assumed he would sign with the Dodgers or Padres from the minute he was posted,” a National League executive told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand earlier this week. “You can’t count out the Blue Jays, because they always seem to be in the mix, but it would be a surprise if he didn’t wind up with one of those SoCal teams.”
With San Diego seemingly out of the running now, that appears to mean Sasaki is deciding between Los Angeles and Toronto ahead of Thursday's deadline to reach a deal. The Blue Jays may have strengthened their chances of getting Sasaki on Friday when they acquired additional international bonus pool space as part of a trade with the Guardians. According to Shi Davidi and Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet, the deal netted Toronto another $2 million in international bonus pool money.
That raises Toronto's bonus pool to $8,261,600. The team can acquire up to 60% of its initial pool -- for a total of $10,018,560 -- via trade.
Jan. 13: Sasaki sweepstakes down to 3 finalists (report)
The Sasaki sweepstakes are entering the home stretch, with two days to go before the start of the 2025 international amateur signing period on Jan. 15 and with 10 days remaining before the right-hander’s posting window is due to close on Jan. 23.
According to a report from ESPN's Jeff Passan on Monday, the list of finalists to sign Sasaki is down to three teams: the Dodgers, Padres and Blue Jays.
The Japanese phemon was reported to be narrowing down his potential choices on Monday, after holding in-person meetings with at least eight teams. The Yankees, Mets, Rangers and Giants were all crossed off the list earlier Monday, and the final three-team list would rule out the eighth team, the Cubs, as well.
The Mariners were also reported to be pursuing Sasaki by The Athletic (subscription required), which noted Seattle's long history with Japanese players as well as a proven track record developing young pitchers. But the Mariners aren't among the finalists, per Passan.