TL;DR - Scouting Report
The Padres could be out in the Roki Sasaki sweepstakes after signing a SS. With $5.1M left to spend, the Dodgers could be in position to sign the coveted Japanese pitcher.
Start the Rally: Tweet This Now!The Dodgers may have just received some good news in the Roki Sasaki sweepstakes as one of their chief competitors could be out of the running.
Francys Romero of Beisbol FR writes that the Padres are set to spend $2.35 million on 17-year-old shortstop Jhoan De La Cruz out of the Dominican Republic.
De La Cruz is ranked 24th in the class of international prospects.
Of course, Sasaki, the coveted starting pitcher out of Japan, is the top-ranked prospect.
By spending $2.35 million, the Padres will now have an estimated $3.85 million left to offer Sasaki with hopes of landing the fireballer.
The Dodgers Remain the Favorites to sign Roki Sasaki
The Dodgers, seen by industry experts to be the favorites in landing Sasaki, meanwhile, have not signed any international free agents and hold approximately $5.1 million to offer Sasaki ahead of the Jan. 23 deadline when the posting window closes.
After signing Blake Snell earlier in the offseason, the Dodgers’ rotation is on pace to be among the best in baseball. However, Andrew Friedman, president of baseball operations for the Dodgers, has remained firm on taking a stance that the team can never have enough depth on the mound.
Should the Dodgers sign Sasaki, it’s plausible to think that he could join a rotation that includes Snell, Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and one of Bobby Miller or Tony Gonsolin.
Sasaki, 23, posted a 10-5 record with a 2.35 ERA, 2.76 FIP, 1.036 WHIP and 10.5 K/9 in 18 games over 111 innings pitched last season for the Chiba Lotte Marines of Japan’s Pacific League. He has grown notoriety for a fastball that topped 102 mph against Mexico’s Randy Arozarena during the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
Your Turn: Why do you think that Roki Sasaki is a lock to sign with the Dodgers? Tell us below in the comments!
What about Dustin May and Kersh?
It seems to me that he could join a rotation that very well may include Ohtani, Yamamoto, Snell, Glasnow, Kershaw, and May/Gonsolin. Bobby Miller needs some time to work on a new pitch or pitch mix in AAA.
You obviously have no idea how this all works. On January 15th each teams international money pool starts over again. This is the reason Sasaki is waiting!