Did the Roki Sasaki favorites just get out of the list? The Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres were reportedly his top two choices given both teams’ connection with Japanese stars. But Sasaki’s recent request about not involving team players in the meetings took away that major reason. Sasaki seems clear about what he wants—he is giving equal chances and effort to all the 20 potential teams, which leads MLB back to square one. No more predictions!

Being under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, this amateur international free agent is considering several factors before making his final move to MLB. The West Coast teams were supposedly Roki’s favorites because of the Dodgers’ involvement with Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and the Padres’ connection with Yu Darvish, who is his idol. The teams were expected to use these players to their advantage to showcase their legacy to take in this 23-year-old Nippon Professional Baseball record holder of 13 consecutive strikeouts, but that seems a little far-fetched now.

“One of the criteria for the meetings is that Roki asked that no players were to attend,” his agent Joel Wolfe said in a 20-minute video call with reporters on December 30. Over four seasons in Japan, Roki Sasaki played 69 games, with a 2.02 ERA and a 30-15 ratio. The perfect game he delivered in April 2022 against the Orix Buffaloes saw him tying an NPB record with 119 strikeouts and setting a record, which clearly shows Sasaki’s true potential. Plus, being younger than 25 years, teams can sign him at a minimal cost, equal to a minor league contract. 

So, considering every factor, teams seemed to be respectful about Roki’s request as well. “There were a couple of teams that had a video from one or two players, but for the most part, it was the general manager, possibly an assistant GM, the manager, the pitching coach and people from the bio-mechanics performance and training staff,” Wolfe noted. Appreciating every team’s effort to land Roki Sasaki, his agent exclaimed the teams’ responses as “the Roki film festival.” With 2 hours given to every team at Wolfe’s office but no visits to cities or stadiums, Sasaki is now skimming through every application equally. 

What holds next for Roki Sasaki?

With festive charms sprinkling all around, Roki Sasaki seems to have decided to let everything settle by giving time to himself. The international signing session won’t begin until January 15. Before that, the Chiba Lotte Marines’ star went back to Japan to spend time with his family. Joel Wolfe also expects him to meet “his team of people to decide what the next steps are.” Reportedly, he would be contacting one or two additional teams before narrowing his choice. 

But the West Coast teams are not yet completely out of the list—the location seems to be a priority for Roki; he has been considering visiting cities before making his final call. Though he is not concerned about the players of a team, Roki Sasaki is taking into account their market size and success history. And for a thorough analysis, Sasaki gave teams certain unspecified homework and asked questions before making the right move. 

Despite the immense achievements of this young pitcher, “Roki is by no means a finished product,” shared Wolfe. Well aware of this fact, Sasaki now wants to become a great name in baseball. He is not looking for a rich contract, but something with which he can grow and challenge himself. Roki Sasaki’s motive is to tap into every MLB resource to become one of the best pitchers ever. 

No matter how badly the Dodgers president of baseball operations, Andrew Friedman, wants to come to negotiations with Sasaki, in the end, it’s all up to him. Which team do you think Roki Sasaki will choose? Share in the comments below. .