Los Angeles Dodgers rumors are swirling this offseason regarding top players in MLB free agency like Juan Soto, Teoscar Hernandez, Roki Sasaki, Corbin Burnes, and Willy Adames. The Dodgers are even viewed as favorites for several of them, but now one agent is pushing back on the buzz.
The Dodgers have been linked to Sasaki in MLB rumors for months. Back in April, reports surfaced that teams fully expected Sasaki to sign with Los Angeles this winter. It was viewed as a foregone conclusion since the team had been eyeing him since January 2024.
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- Roki Sasaki stats 2024 (Baseball Reference): 2.35 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 4.03 K/BB, 10.5 K/9, 6.7 H/9, 0.2 HR/9 in 111 innings pitched
MLB teams, including the Dodgers, still went to Japan to scout the young starting pitcher. Sasaki fell short of expectations this season in the NPB, experiencing an injury-riddled season with diminished velocity and stats. However, his performance over several years still made him one of the best pitchers outside the U.S.
Fast forward to November and MLB rumors continue to point to Sasaki signing with Los Angeles, turning down contract offers from other clubs to play with Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani. It even comes with speculation that Sasaki already has a deal in place with the Dodgers.
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Speaking to Evan Drellich of The Athletic, Sasaki’s agent adamantly denied rumors that there is a deal in place with the Dodgers and said the very idea is insulting.
Agent Claims Rumors Of Deal With Roki Sasaki And Los Angeles Dodgers No True
“While a bunch of executives who should know me better and do a lot of business with me insult my integrity by insinuating that I would be a part of some type of nefarious agreement, in reality, this is just poor sportsmanship.”
Roki Sasaki’s agent on rumors that a contract is already in place with the Los Angeles Dodgers
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- Roki Sasaki career stats (NPB): 2.45 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 5.74 K/BB, 11.5 K/9, 6.0 H/9, 0.3 HR/9 in 394.2 innings pitched
Of note, Sasaki isn’t even eligible to sign with a team until January and he won’t be officially posted until the 2025 MLB international free agency period begins in two months. Strengthening the argument that a deal isn’t in place, the San Diego Padres are viewed as co-favorites for Sasaki, and teams like the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox are still pursuing him.
It certainly remains possible that Sasaki is wearing a Dodgers uniform next season and Los Angeles might’ve been the team he wanted all along. However, since international bonus pool restrictions for players under the age of 25 mean money is much less of a factor, there was no reason for Sasaki to have a pre-arranged deal in place when he is already picking which team he feels is best for him.
