We will soon be finding out where Roki Sasaki will be pitching in 2025.
The 23-year-old Japanese pitching ace is the best remaining free agent on the market and several teams have reportedly met with him, including the Los Angeles Dodgers.
According to Sasaki’s agent, Joel Wolfe, the decision timeline will fall between Jan. 15, when MLB’s international signing period opens, and Jan. 23.
“The timeline for Round 2 is going to lead right up until he signs,” Wolfe previously told The Athletic’s Will Sammon. “We’re still talking and having Zoom calls. So I don’t have a precise timeline for that, like we did for the meetings. Teams will be notified at some point if there’s going to be additional meetings or travel or something like that. But other than that, I don’t believe there’s going to be any specific timeline.”
Since Sasaki was posted, he was immediately linked to the Dodgers, with many analysts believing LA was the favorite to land him. However, according to a new report from an MLB insider, that may not be the case any longer.
NL West Rival Viewed As Favorite To Sign Roki Sasaki
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reveals that the San Diego Padres are now viewed as favorites among executives to sign Sasaki.
“While the Los Angeles Dodgers have been the heavy favorites to sign Sasaki for the past year, with some teams convinced he already made up his mind, the San Diego Padres have emerged as the new choice among executives,” Nightengale reports. “Sure, if he wants the bright lights, the marketing endorsements, and the chance to win the World Series every year, the Dodgers are his team. But if he wants a more tranquil market and to play with his mentor Yu Darvish, the Padres are his team.”
The Padres, who have yet to spend any money in free agency this offseason, need rotation help after losing Joe Musgrove to Tommy John surgery for the 2025 season. Dylan Cease and Michael King will also be free agents after this upcoming year.
Related: Dodgers Plan At 2nd Base Revealed After Gavin Lux Trade
Nicknamed “The Monster of the Reiwa Era,” Sasaki has consistently hit triple-digits with his fastball. In four seasons with the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball, he compiled a 29-15 record in 64 starts across 394⅔ innings, posting a 2.10 ERA with 510 strikeouts and 88 walks.
However, durability concerns persist. Sasaki’s career-high innings pitched is 129⅓, and his 2024 season was limited to 18 starts due to a torn oblique and right arm soreness.
Because Sasaki is under 25 and has less than six years of experience, he will likely sign a minor-league contract worth approximately $7.5 million, the maximum bonus pool available for international amateurs.
Had he waited two more years, Sasaki could have commanded a contract similar to Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s recent 12-year, $325 million deal.