Roki Sasaki Eliminates Another Team as Dodgers, At Least 3 Others Remain

Maren Angus-Coombs | Jan 13, 2025

Mar 20, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Japan starting pitcher Roki Sasaki (14) delivers a pitch during the first inning against Mexico at LoanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Roki Sasaki continued eliminating suitors on Monday as his Jan. 23 deadline draws closer.

Earlier on Monday, three teams were reportedly told they were no longer in the running: The New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants and New York Mets. Now, a fourth team has been added to the list.

Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports that the Texas Rangers will not be signing the Japanese superstar.

Roki Sasaki has informed Rangers he will be signing elsewhere, per person familiar with process.

— Evan Grant (@Evan_P_Grant) January 13, 2025

The teams still in contention after holding initial meetings include the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays, and Chicago Cubs.

However, the Padres and Blue Jays have both reportedly had a second meeting with Sasaki in their respective cities.

The Dodgers have been widely viewed as frontrunners for 23-year-old Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki, who is expected to sign between Jan. 15-23.

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman described Sasaki as a “major priority” for Los Angeles this offseason. The team is focused on bolstering their rotation, which will also see the return of Shohei Ohtani in 2025.

Sasaki, determined to become the best pitcher in Major League Baseball, has drawn high praise from Friedman, who believes he has the potential to achieve that goal.

“He has talked about his desire to be the best pitcher in the world,” Friedman said at the Winter Meetings, “and we believe he’s capable of being the best pitcher in the world.”

“He’s incredibly talented,” Friedman added. “Really physical, incredible carrying fastball. His split is well above the average major league pitch. He’s worked hard on his slider, and it’s a really good pitch.”

More news: Dodgers’ NL West Rival Have Been Told Roki Sasaki Won’t Sign With Them

Roki Sasaki is set to join MLB after an impressive four-year run in Nippon Professional Baseball, where he posted a 2.10 ERA over 414.2 innings. He also represented Team Japan in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, playing alongside Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

Dodgers president Andrew Friedman is hopeful that these connections could strengthen the team’s case in their pursuit of the star pitcher.

“I’m sure that they talk. I’m sure that they will,” Friedman said of the three Team Japan teammates. “I don’t know what their comfort level is, but I know that they would be honest with their opinions, and I think that would be really helpful for the Dodgers.”

When Sasaki signs, his new team will only need to use their international bonus pool to secure him. This makes him one of the most sought-after free agents in history — and the Dodgers are determined to present a compelling case to land the star pitcher.

More news: Another Dodgers Rival Officially Out of Roki Sasaki Sweepstakes in Massive Development