The Toronto Blue Jays seem to be on the verge of having Roki Sasaki in their lineup. But other teams are looking to get him as well, and as for Sasaki, he has reportedly narrowed down his options to the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, and the Toronto Blue Jays. A deal with Toronto appears highly likely given the advantages Sasaki can obtain with this signing.

Canada has great marketing potential, and hence, the Blue Jays can provide Sasaki with a massive market for promotions. While Roki Sasaki is yet to make a call, Jim Bowden of the Athlete posted on January 14: “Here’s a thing about Sasaki: endorsements matter for him because he’s not going to be arbitration-eligible for three years; he won’t be eligible for free agency for six years. So his best shot is to have endorsements, right?”. Bowden further noted that this deal will grant Sasaki the entire country’s market to himself, so, in contrast to his chances with the other teams, he could easily get endorsements here.

The Los Angeles Dodgers already have Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who possess great brand value. So, this can leave Roki without many choices in branding opportunities too. As for the San Diego Padres, there is Yu Darvish, who is one of the perfect pitchers in MLB and also has a bigger brand value. However, the Padres remain the smallest team market-wide. Therefore, Sasaki might opt for the Tronoto team, where he can obtain endorsements from Canada, his home country Japan, and the US. And that’s not all; signing him can also help the Toronto Blue Jays’ bullpen.

The Blue Jays can seize a major boost with Roki Sasaki

Roki Sasaki is just 23 years old, having thrown above 100 mph, and perhaps one of the best splitters in the game – the Blue Jays have other starters like Yariel Rodriguez, Chris Bassitt, and Bowden Francis, but adding Sasaki could have a cascading effect. They will be able to send Yariel to the bullpen to improve the lineup, which the team failed at last offseason, and there’s more to what Sasaki’s signing can offer to the Jays.

Sasaki’s addition may also improve the Blue Jays’ roster-changing financial efficiency, allowing them to select a number of young talent at entry-level salaries. It will be required to maintain the budget properly and prop up the present competitive cycle. While the Jays are still the top contender in the race for Roki, besides the rumors circulating that the Yankees are attempting to acquire the player, there are some other concerns.

Roki Saski may not receive the same sum as Yoshinobu Yamamoto or Masahiro Tanaka; according to the MLB rules, he is an international free agent; being under 25 years old, he can get around $5 to $8 million. So, given the opportunities Sasaki could have by joining the Blue Jays, do you think the Toronto team will bag his deal? Share your thoughts in the comments below.