The Roki Sasaki sweepstakes is now down to the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays, with the San Diego Padres reportedly out of the running. The Padres have made plans to announce international signings, indicating they are no longer pursuing Sasaki. The Blue Jays acquired bonus pool money in a trade with the Cleveland Guardians, increasing their available funds to approximately $8.2 million to offer Sasaki. The Dodgers, with $5.1 million in bonus pool money, are also looking to trade for more funds. Sasaki, a 23-year-old pitcher, can only sign a minor-league contract with a signing bonus from a team’s international bonus pool. He has until next Thursday to sign before the posting window closes. Earlier reports had indicated the Padres, Dodgers, and Blue Jays as the final contenders, with the Padres being seen as the biggest threat due to Sasaki’s relationship with Yu Darvish. The Dodgers held an in-person meeting with Sasaki, possibly involving other Japanese players in their recruiting pitch. The race to sign Sasaki is heating up as the deadline approaches.
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Daily News reports that Roki Sasaki’s field of options may have narrowed to just two teams: the Dodgers and Blue Jays
