Source: Sasaki's Dodgers, Padres, Blue Jays finalists

Star Japanese right-hander Roki Sasaki plans to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres or Toronto Blue Jays sometime in the next week or so, sources told ESPN on Monday. In recent days, they have taken one of the most talented pitchers in the world off their radar.

The New York Yankees, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants and Texas Rangers were told they were out Sasaki, leaving two teams that were favored from the start, sources said — Los Angeles and San Diego — and a surprise entrant in Toronto.

The 23-year-old Sasaki, whose 100-mph-plus fastball and devastating split-finger fastball made him one of the best pitchers in Japan, was hired by the Chiba Rakuten Marines in December, giving him a 45-year contract. day signing window. Since Sasaki is not yet 25 years old, he must sign as an international amateur player. The new international signing period will begin on Wednesday, but Sasaki is not expected to sign until closer to January 23rd (when his posting window closes).

Toronto's rise comes after Sasaki visited Toronto on Thursday and Friday, first reported by The Athletic. Sasaki also visited San Diego over the weekend, bringing the process involving the entire baseball team closer to completion.

The prospect of signing Sasaki is enticing. At a heavily discounted price — international signings are mandatory, with a cap of roughly $10 million set on Sasaki's signing bonus — it provides the team with great value, as Sasaki will play the next three seasons with the Play for the league minimum wage and then spend three more years in an arbitration system that lowers wages. The finalists understand the rarity of players like Sasaki and are exploring trades for additional bonuses above and beyond the allotted amount in case they are drafted.

Over the past two seasons, Major League Baseball (MLB) top brass often watched Sasaki play against Rakuten. Last year, Sasaki struck out 129 and walked 32 in 111 innings with a 2.35 ERA. He performed even better in his first two seasons, and despite knowing that if he stayed with the team for another two years, he would have a chance at a nine-figure contract that would include a large release fee, Rakuten Published him. To the team.

With Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Dodgers had employed two of Sasaki's Samurai teammates and were on the verge of winning a World Series. While they were favored by the public from the start, sources cautioned that it was entirely possible that the Padres — and right-hander Darvish, who had served as Sasaki's mentor — would land him.

The Blue Jays shocked the game's front office as the third team. Toronto is in last place in the American League East, has a below-average farm system, has yet to reach a contract extension with its core player Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and has been rejected by many from Ohtani to Juan Soto to Corbin Burns are all high-profile free agents.

Still, sources say Toronto entered its meeting with Sasaki with confidence and hope, and that feeling is paying off as one of the biggest baseball decisions in recent memory approaches.