Dodgers among 3 finalists awaiting Roki Sasaki’s decision

Decision day is almost here.

Beginning Wednesday, international free agents can sign with major-league teams. It’s usually a day populated by teenagers from Latin America posing for photos with a contract on the table in front of them and a fresh new cap atop their head. Then they fade into the obscurity of the minor leagues.

But this year is very different thanks to Roki Sasaki’s decision to jump from Japanese baseball to MLB at age 23. The accomplished right-hander is the most coveted player to enter MLB through this route since Shohei Ohtani made a similar jump in the winter of 2017.

By leaving NPB before his 25th birthday, Sasaki has eliminated any bidding war. Teams can only offer as much money as they have in their international bonus pool – a total that ranges from $5 million to about $8 million per team.

Since he was posted by the Chiba Lotte Marines in mid-December, Sasaki has trimmed his suitors down from the 20 who originally responded to his agent’s solicitation of interest to the seven teams that reportedly had in-person meetings with Sasaki in Los Angeles now down to three finalists – the Dodgers, the San Diego Padres and the Toronto Blue Jays.

The three finalists have each had a second meeting with Sasaki, this time with the Japanese star visiting the individual cities. According to The Athletic, the Dodgers got the last of those meetings on Tuesday.

The first time around, according to Sasaki’s agent, Joel Wolfe, teams were asked not to include any current players in their presentation. The second meetings with the three finalists, however, were believed to include players – creating the likelihood that Sasaki’s Team Japan WBC teammates Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto were part of the Dodgers’ recruiting pitch.

Wolfe has indicated Sasaki’s decision will not necessarily come immediately after the opening of the international signing period. It could come any time between now and Jan. 23 when Sasaki’s posting window closes.

“This is a very unique process and a very unique player,” Wolfe said last month. “The collision of the posting process with an international free agent is something which is very new.

“Come Jan. 15, Roki has the ability to choose from virtually any team in baseball and between the 15th and essentially the 23rd he can make that decision.”

The Dodgers have followed Sasaki for years and have been considered the favorites to sign him since even before the formal process began. The additions of Ohtani and Yamamoto a year ago just strengthened the perception of the Dodgers as the go-to landing spot for Japanese stars.

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Sasaki is considered one of the best pitchers in the world with a fastball that has hit 102 mph and a devastating splitter. If he signs with the Dodgers, he would join a group of starters that already includes Ohtani, Yamamoto, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow.

The Dodgers’ focus on Sasaki has been evident in other movement among international free agents. Two Latin American prospects previously linked to the Dodgers – Dominican shortstop Darrell Morel and Venezuelan outfielder Orlando Patino – are now reportedly set to sign with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago White Sox, respectively, leaving the Dodgers’ full bonus pool available for Sasaki.

The Dodgers’ international bonus pool is the smallest among the three finalists for Sasaki, about $5.1 million. Teams can trade for additional bonus pool money and the Dodgers could boost their total to around $8 million through potential trades.