Roki Sasaki is slipping away from joining his idol Yu Darvish and the San Diego Padres. Several teams are pursuing Sasaki as he’s ready to make a final decision anytime soon. The Japanese star will join Major League Baseball as an international agent before spring training.
Sasaki met with several teams to ensure before becoming eligible to sign in the majors. The pitcher was predicted to join the Padres and pitch alongside Darvish. However, multiple reports have stated that the Padres are out of the race. At present, only two teams are predicted to sign Sasaki: the Dodgers and the Blue Jays.
The Dodgers have signed several star players and have been creative with deferred contracts. Several MLB fans have been unhappy with the team’s approach, and many speculate that they will lure Roki Sasaki to their team. Some fans took to social media to express their thoughts on the same.
The Padres are out on Roki Sasaki, per @francysromeroFR
— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) January 17, 2025
They are expected to begin their international signings of Carlos Alvarez and Jhoan De La Cruz pic.twitter.com/kY8yUPcZga
Here’s a look at some fan reactions on X.
“Plz Toronto. Pull off a miracle and stop this dodger madness,” wrote one fan.
Plz Toronto. Pull off a miracle and stop this dodger madness
— Moe (@Moziz93) January 17, 2025
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“Just announce him to the Dodgers,” another fan chipped in.
Just announce him to the Dodgers
— Coffee Chaser 🇵🇷🇲🇽🦅 (@CoffeeChaser_) January 17, 2025
“Wtf??? Well he’s a dodger,” one fan responded.
wtf??? Well he’s a dodger
— Last Take™ (@TheRealLastTake) January 17, 2025
“Here come the Dodgers smh,” one fan said.
here come the dodgers smh
— ev ☯︎ (@Heightzzz) January 17, 2025
“Just let everyone take the bullet and announce the Dodgers already, this is annoying!” wrote another fan.
Just let everyone take the bullet and announce the Dodgers already, this is annoying!
— Ko Laz (@haoleboy09) January 17, 2025
Congratulations to the Future Dodger Roki Sasaki🎉 pic.twitter.com/A42FPC7X4k
— ヒロ (@zzz1840104) January 17, 2025
Fuck the dodgers
— Bob Weir's Burner (@BoobWeir) January 17, 2025
He was always going to the Dodgers. The MLB allowed them to defer all of that money and ruined the MLB for the next decade. Unless Sixers process level Karma takes them out
— PhillySports24/7 (@MoreyBall76) January 17, 2025
Dodgers Stand A Better Shot At Roki Sasaki Against The Blue Jays
The Blue Jays have not done much this offseason despite pursuing several free agents. Toronto has spots to fix, and Sasaki can boost the team’s starting rotation. Yet, the Dodgers stand a better shot at the pitcher in this race.
One of the main reasons for Sasaki to side with the Boys in Blue is because of Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Sasaki wants to win, and doing that with two top Japanese stars will be a special memory.
Moreover, he’s sure to be comfortable alongside two of his fellow countrymen, at least for the start. It’s a gamble, but the Dodgers have a good shot at this international signing. On the other hand, Pete Alonso has rejected the Mets’ latest offer.
Also Read: Alex Bregman Update: Red Sox Predicted To Go All In With $200 Million Offer
