The off-season is far from over, it seems. The most surprising move recently has been of Corbin Burnes, who was expected to choose the San Francisco Giants. But in a twist no one saw coming, he signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks. This is not a great look for Buster Posey, who is now heading the team and wants to change the narrative there. He started strong by signing Willy Adames, but since then, things have been pretty low-key, and fans are starting to get irked too.

Right now, getting a stellar pitcher will be a top priority for Buster Posey. But the markets are closing in; apart from Burnes, Max Fried also joined the New York Yankees on a record deal. Sean Manaea is back with the New York Mets. So, their current top option with MLB experience seems like Jack Flaherty—he was in Detroit before he helped bolster the Dodger’s WS campaign. There is another name they seem attracted to, and it’s Roki Sasaki, but this road isn’t going to be easy, given half of the other MLB teams are interested.

The Giants face extreme competition for Roki Sasaki

Roki Sasaki has been the talk of the town, given some claim he is a player as good as Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Not just that, Sasaki also wouldn’t cost an arm and a leg for teams—that’s great news for crews like the Giants. But it seems many other teams are in the run; Jon Heyman mentioned a list, from the LA Dodgers, the San Diego Padres, the Chicago Cubs, and the NY Yankees to the NY Mets and Texas Rangers too. And as for the SF Giants, Heyman said it could happen, “maybe.” Nonetheless, the team might not lose out if they pitch their unique advantage.

The San Francisco Giants have a history of helping players with development— and BINGO! Roki Sasaki’s agent, Joel Wolfe, had mentioned, according to ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez, that the 23-year-old is looking for a team that will help his career trajectory. “He’s looking for pitching development and a team that can help him improve both immediately and throughout his career,” Wolfe had said.

Plus, Sasaki apparently doesn’t bother whether any Japanese members are present in the team—this is where the Giants shine. From Logan Webb to Madison Bumgarner, they have a record of nurturing pitchers’ talent, which could be a game-changer. But still, they need to watch out for the Cubs.

Could Sasaki go to the Chicago Cubs?

It’s hard to guess anything, given the dynamic of how Roki Sasaki will choose is so different. He won’t choose based on the money, but rather where he will develop. Plus, it’s known by now that Sasaki wants a place that’s not all bright but low-key. He has had a bad experience with the media back in Japan; hence, starting in small or medium market teams is where he wishes to be. And another name has popped up, and it’s the Chicago Cubs—it makes sense if you know the backstory.

According to Alden Gonzalez of ESPN, Wolfe believes Sasaki’s decision to join MLB so young, at 23, was inspired by Shota Imanaga. His success as a rookie with the Cubs pushed Sasaki to come in sooner. Plus, Roki Sasaki watched Imanaga thrive alongside Shohei Ohtani and Yu Darvish during the 2023 World Baseball Classic. The Chicago Cubs have more to offer than what meets the eye—they are not as flashy as LA or New York; that’s an advantage here.

Plus, the team has a strong baseball culture and even a record of getting Japanese talent. Hence, the Cubs cannot be discounted and are very much on the run to clinch Sasakoi. Right now, two dark horses, the Giants and Cubs, are bent on this race, so where do you think Roki Sasaki will end up? Let us know below.