It’s like the annual offseason World Series: The Toronto Blue Jays versus the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Unfortunately for Jays fans, we know how that has turned out in the past.
That said, a report from MLB insider Francys Romero on Friday morning suggests that the San Diego Padres are out of the running for highly coveted 23-year-old Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki. So here we go again.
Citing multiple sources, Romero reported that the Padres are no longer in pursuit of Sasaki and have moved on to signing other international players on their radar. The Padres have yet to officially disclose whether they are out of the running for Sasaki.
Meanwhile, the Jays’ pursuit of Sasaki became even more intriguing later in the morning when the team announced it had completed a deal with the Cleveland Guardians that includes “international bonus signing pool space for 2025.” Clearly that suggests the team is still hopeful it can find a way to land the young Japanese pitcher. The Jays also acquired outfielder Myles Straw and some cash in exchange for a player to be named later or cash.
That development doesn’t mean Sasaki has made his decision, but it does suggest the Jays are ready should he decide on Toronto.
With the Padres reportedly out, the latest development leaves the Dodgers and the Jays as the two teams in the running for the right hander, who many project to be an instant ace on whatever MLB team he decides on to continue his career. The Padres were one of three finalists in the much-followed pursuit of Sasaki, who became eligible to sign with MLB teams when the international posting period opened this week. With a deadline of Jan. 23, it is expected that Sasaki’s decision is imminent.
Where does that leave the Jays? In a familiar position given that the team was widely considered to be under strong consideration from Shohei Ohtani last offseason before the Japanese sensation “settled” with a US$750-million deal with the Dodgers. The reigning World Series champions remain the favourite to land Sasaki, but the fact that the Jays are in it this far is intriguing at the least.
Under general manager Ross Atkins, the Jays have been diligent about working the Asian market and especially Japan. They made a concerted bid for Ohtani in 2017 before the two-way star ultimately decided on the Los Angeles Angels, and again a year ago.
Atkins has reportedly been to Japan on multiple occasions to watch Sasaki pitch live and the front office has quietly been courting the young pitcher for a while now. Sasaki has clearly reciprocated the interest and for a couple of days last week visited Toronto, where he reportedly had an opportunity to meet with team officials and staff as well as tour the Rogers Centre.
While there are attractions to the Jays — Sasaki could then begin his North American career away from the considerable shadow cast by his compatriot, Ohtani — the Dodgers are still considered the clear favourite to add him to an already-stacked lineup.
As the Jays did in their most recent pitch to Ohtani, Atkins and his staff no doubt highlighted the endorsement opportunities of playing for a team that has coast-to-coast appeal.
By all accounts, Sasaki has been diligent in his approach to deciding on his future. After his time in Toronto, he paid visits to both L.A. and San Diego as his decision nears.