Major League Baseball’s offseason has been full of excitement since its inception, with several big-name free agent players switching teams and big-time deals going down.
With offensive linemen like Juan Soto and Kyle Tucker to starters like Corbin Burns, Max Fried and Blake Snell all switching teams, the offseason has seen plenty of action.
The Los Angeles Dodgers acted immediately after winning the World Series by signing free agent starter Blake Snell from the San Francisco Giants.
One of the starting free agents still available is Rocky Sasaki, who is out of MLB Japan this offseason.
MLB insider Ken Rosenthal revealed his prediction for where Sasaki will sign.
“I’ve yet to go chalk, Dodgers,” Rosenthal said via Foul Territory at the X.
.@Ken_Rosenthal: predicts that Rocky Sasaki will eventually sign with Los Angeles @Dodgers: pic.twitter.com/wNUvVIhzn7
— FoulTerritory (@FoulTerritoryTV) January 14, 2025
Perhaps the main reason the Dodgers are the favorite to sign Sasaki is the other Japanese players, including Shohei Otani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Sasaki is just 23 years old and comes to MLB from Japan with a reputation for having an electric arm.
With his overseas team in 2024, Sasaki appeared in 18 games, posting a 10-5 record with a 2.35 ERA and 129 strikeouts in 111.0 innings.
Rosenthal says he wouldn’t be surprised if Sasaki signs with the San Diego Padres, but he still believes the Dodgers are the team he will choose.
The Padres also have Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish on their roster, which could give Sasaki some incentive to sign there.
