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These Roki Sasaki suitors are still in play after several MLB teams eliminated

The Japanese phenom is getting close to signing with an MLB team, though a number of prominent suitors have already been ruled out.

ByBrandon Glick|
Roki Sasaki has eliminated a number of suitors in his signing process.
Roki Sasaki has eliminated a number of suitors in his signing process. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The best free agent still on the board is seemingly close to making a decision.

Roki Sasaki is expected to sign shortly after January 15, which is when the 2025 international signing period officially opens. He was officially posted prior to the Winter Meetings, on December 9, 2024.

Now, he's begun eliminating teams as he closes in on his top choice, including a number of notable suitors.

First, it was the San Francisco Giants getting the boot:

Then, the two behemoths from New York were eliminated, further cementing the notion that Sasaki is focusing on teams not on the East Coast of the U.S.:

So, where does that leave his market ahead of his expected signing this week?

Updating the suitors for Sasaki

As we've been anticipating all offseason, the Dodgers and Padres remain the clear-cut favorites for Sasaki. Both have had in-person meetings with the Japanese phenom and have centered their offseasons around signing the starting pitcher.

When looking at potential suitors for the 23-year-old stud, the Dodgers always came to mind as a "perfect" fit because of their geographical location on the West Coast (being one of the closest MLB teams to Japan), their global branding, and their history with courting and amplifying Japanese stars, including most recently winning the World Series with Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

The one team that can feasibly compete with L.A. in every aspect is the San Diego Padres. They're the employer of Yu Darvish, one of Sasaki's heroes and mentors. In addition, Sasaki's representation, which includes Darvish's agent Joel Wolfe, has not been shy in its admiration of Padres general manager A.J. Preller.

San Diego, unlike their rivals in Los Angeles, also has a clear need in their rotation for Sasaki. Whilst the Dodgers have Ohtani, Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May, and likely Clayton Kershaw rounding out their staff, the Padres have Darvish, Dylan Cease, and Michael King pencilled in as their top triumvirate.

Behind those two, Sasaki just took a long meeting with the Toronto Blue Jays, and they could stand to gain a lot from squashing the rumor that they can't attract any big-name free agents.

The Chicago Cubs are a favorite among Japanese players and already have Shota Imanaga and Seiya Suzuki on their roster. The Seattle Mariners have a long legacy with creating a home for Japanese stars and are well-positioned on the West Coast. The Rangers, the team that originally signed Darvish, have also popped up intermittently in rumors surrounding Sasaki.

Other than those six squads, there aren't any other known suitors remaining for Sasaki. While a dark horse contender could jump into the fray, the more accurate takeaway from these updates is that the 23-year-old pitcher is close to making a decision.

Expect to see a few more teams eliminated in the coming days as Sasaki chooses his first MLB home.

Editor Update: The Rangers have been eliminated. It seems like we're down to the top five.

Editor Update 2: The Cubs *might* be out. They've been a long-shot since the beginning, but I'd be wary of the rumors floating out there on them, for now.

Editor Update 3: There go the Cubs and Mariners. Down to three.

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