After news broke that top Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki is set to be posted for Major League Baseball teams, the general expectation was that the Los Angeles Dodgers would be his most likely destination. However, a new report suggests that might not be the case.
Jim Bowden of *The Athletic*, citing discussions with executives and league insiders, argues that the Dodgers are actually not the favorites to sign Sasaki, and the notion of them being the front-runners may be overstated.
Bowden offers several reasons for this perspective. Since Sasaki will enter the MLB as an amateur free agent, he won’t be eligible for salary arbitration until 2028, meaning he might rely more on endorsement deals to boost his income. Playing for the Dodgers, alongside Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, could limit his endorsement potential. Instead, Sasaki might find greater earning opportunities by positioning himself as a competitor to the Dodgers’ Japanese stars rather than joining them.
Furthermore, Sasaki is known to have a close relationship with Yu Darvish, which could make the San Diego Padres an appealing option. The Atlanta Braves, New York Mets, and Tampa Bay Rays are also seen as strong contenders due to their history of developing pitchers.
At just 23 years old, Sasaki is still early in his career and could hit free agency at his peak, similar to Shohei Ohtani. With a career record of 30-15, a 2.02 ERA, and a 0.883 WHIP, Sasaki is widely considered to have significant upside still ahead of him.
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