Roki Sasaki has been one of the hottest names in the MLB offseason, and the Los Angeles Dodgers have been at the forefront of many of the conversations.
The consensus has been that since it became known that Sasaki would go to the MLB, the Dodgers would have the best shot of signing him. The Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto connection is real, along with the Dodgers winning organization, and the culture of Los Angeles.
The San Diego Padres have been another team that has climbed the ranks as a likely destination. The City of San Diego has a similar proximity and culture to that of Los Angeles, and the Padres have Japanese starting pitcher Yu Darvish.
For the past few weeks, it has felt like a two-horse race.
Just recently, MLB Insider Buster Olney made a prediction that should get Dodgers fans excited.
Buster Olney Says Roki Sasaki Will End Up With Los Angeles Dodgers
In his recent MLB Free Agency Intel article, Buster Olney wrote about what he is hearing in terms of where Sasaki will eventually end up.
But there is widespread industry belief — correct or not — that Sasaki has probably already picked a team, and it’s most likely the Dodgers. All of these clubs will go through the process, however, and at the end, a lot of execs are going to complain that it was a waste of their time.
The Los Angeles Dodgers just signed 2-time Cy Young Winner Blake Snell to a 5-year $182-million deal, so adding Sasaki (especially at the price they will be able to get him at) will make their starting rotations one of the best in baseball.
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If Sasaki were the sign, the predicted starting rotation would be:
- Blake Snell
- Yoshinobu Yamamoto
- Tyler Glasnow
- Shohei Ohtani (if fully healed from Tommy John surgery)
- Roki Sasaki
They also have Landon Knack, Dustin May, Tony Gonsolin, and Emmet Shehan. Walker Buehler and Jack Flaherty are both currently free agents. Pretty formidable rotation.
The MLB Winter Meetings begin in Dallas on Monday, and there are sure to be plenty of rumors and gossip spilling everywhere next week.