The race to sign Rōki Sasaki appears to be down to the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays. Per MLB insider Francys Romero, the San Diego Padres are

Rōki Sasaki might be the best free agent still available for MLB. Here is everything to know about the Japanese superstar.

Sasaki, nicknamed in Japan as "the Monster of the Reiwa Era," struck out 11 batters in 7 and ⅔ innings with a 3.52 ERA during the 2023 WBC. In Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball, he struck out 129 hitters in 111 regular-season innings for the Marines in the 2024 season.

The Dodgers cemented their status as the preferred MLB destination for NPB stars and transformed their rotation into a Mount Rushmore of Japanese pitching luminaries by winning the Rōki Sasaki sweepstakes.

Usually, the big story for the Texas Rangers when the International Free Agency signing period begins is the race to gobble up players and max out the team’s bonus pool allotment. Not so much this year.

Baseball fans have the same complaint after Japanese star pitcher Rōki Sasaki signed with the star-studded Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Roki Sasaki sweepstakes are winding down, with finalists emerging and teams being informed that they're out of the running.

With just two days before the window to sign him opens, the field for star Japanese right-hander Rōki Sasaki has narrowed.

The mighty Dodgers, that Evil Empire on the West Coast, have struck again, signing Japanese phenom Rōki Sasaki.

The New York Mets, like many other teams, made a run at Japanese superstar Rōki Sasaki. However, as his deadline to sign approaches, teams are being ruled out and the Mets have seemingly lost the sweepstakes.

With or without Sasaki, there is no doubt that the wins will keep flowing in. The Dodgers are the most resource-rich team in MLB, whether we're talking about their revenue or a farm system that B/R's Joel Reuter ranks 8th in the league.