We have 4 days until the Roki Sasaki bidding gets real. It is doubtful that any agreement will come on January 15, but the IFA bonus pool for each team will become more clear.
The Dodgers have reportedly told all of the 2025 signees to wait until 2026 to sign.
https://dodgersnation.com/dodgers-asking-2025-international-signees-to-wait-until-2026-as-roki-sasaki-nears-decision/2025/01/11/
At least one Dodger commitment, has turned from LAD and agreed to sign with Pittsburgh for twice the Dodgers offer. LH hitting 6’5” SS, Darell Morel, was considered the top LAD IFA prospect, even though he is not considered a top 50 IFA by either MLB Pipeline or Baseball America.
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/01/pirates-to-sign-dodgers-committed-intl-prospect-darell-morel.html
It would appear that the Dodgers are going all in for Sasaki, with no evidence that the Dodgers are his first choice. If they do miss out, they also miss out on a full year of IFA prospects. Confidence or brazen arrogance?
This follows the 2024 IFA signing period where the Dodgers were expected to sign the #3 IFA prospect, CF Paulino Santana. The Dodgers were trying to hold back funds to sign Sasaki if he were to be posted for the 2024 signing period. Didn’t happen and they lost out on Paulino who is now the Rangers #10 prospect.
I know it is hard to believe, but not everyone wants to be a Dodger. I have no idea if Sasaki is one who has already made up his mind that he will be a Dodger or will not. But the Dodgers are gambling that he will (or maybe he has already committed). If he does agree to LAD, that will grab the attention of the Commissioners office and an investigation is likely.
The second favorite team to sign Sasaki, the Padres, are believed to be the favorites to sign at least two top IFA prospects: Dominican SS, Jhoan De La Cruz, and Venezuelan SS Deivid Coronil. There is no word as to whether the Padres have asked their commitments to hold off until 2026.
There are reportedly (per Baseball America) 7 teams who are still in the hunt for Sasaki:
- Boston – $6,261,600 bonus pool
- Baltimore – $6,908,600 bonus pool
- NYY – $6,261,600 bonus pool
- NYM – $6,261,600 bonus pool
- Texas – $6,261,600 bonus pool
- San Diego – $6,261,600 bonus pool
- LAD – $5,146,200 bonus pool
The Dodgers trail Boston, NYY, NYM, Texas, and San Diego by $1,115,400 and Baltimore by $1,762,400 in bonus pool funds.
NYM will drop well below the Dodgers after they are expected to sign the #2 prospect, Dominican SS Elian Peña. Beside the Padres, the Red Sox and NYY figure to sign a pair of top prospects. It is expected that all of those teams will drop below the Dodgers or just about at their level. Texas is expected to sign the #36 prospect.
Expected IFA signings:
- Boston – #28 and #45 – Last year those picks were $2,450,000
- Baltimore – #42 – Last year that pick was $1,650,000
- NYY – #15 and #25 – Last year those picks were $2,550,000
- NYM – #2 – Expected to be north of $3MM
- Texas – #36 – Last year that pick was $1,400,000
- San Diego – #41 and #48 – Last year those picks were $1,950,000
If as suspected and predicted, all of the teams believed to still be in the Roki Sasaki sweepstakes, only Baltimore figures to have more remaining bonus $$$ than LAD after the projected signings.
There is nothing to stop teams like San Diego or NYY from backing off their commitments, leaving them in a marginally better position bonus wise. But as of right now, that does not seem to be the case. I doubt that NYM will back off their commitment for Dominican SS Elian Peña, who is ranked just below Sasaki.
I cannot believe that the IFA bonus would be the primary needle mover to sign Sasaki, but it does remove somewhat of an obstacle.
Footnote Comment – I have tried to properly cite references, and I hope I do not have any spelling or grammar errors. If I do, I apologize. I would really hate it if the spelling, grammar, and reference cite police would be offended. I would also like to add that I am not joking about any of this, and I do hope it passes on the “silly” meter.
Just get it over with already. Tired of all the hype and ado over this guy. If the Dodgers sign him, great. If not, then move on and let’s keep improving the team. Sign Tanner Scott, find one more outfielder with some pop and we are ready to roll.
It’s a done deal that he’s a Dodger. Friedman’s been nurturing the relationship for years.
We all know the situation in LA is intolerable. But this is not the venue for that discussion. Lets stick to baseball guys. I appreciate the sentiments. I am a native too and I remember all that stuff. But I also remember the Watts riots and the Rodney King mess.
From how I understand it the amount of money teams have available isn’t he mos important criteria for Sasaki, especially since a team like the Dodgers could sell how much endorsement money they could lead him to. I’ve heard on mlb radio he wants a winner and a team that can help him develop into a hof pitcher.
HOF announcement 9 days away. At this point I would say Ichiro and Sabathia are locks with Beltran and Billy Wagner barely in or just missing the cut.
Braves signed Garrett Cooper to a minor league contract. Padres hired Scott Servais as a special assistant. Santander and Flaherty open to short term deals.
I figure you gotta take the chance, right?
You miss out on IFA signings for a single year, it’s probably not going to severely impact the team nor its fortunes.
For the upside of Sasaki, I think it’s more than worth the risk.
I understand each world series winning players earned a $455,000 plus bonus. Roki, could get a couple of these that some of these also rans courting him, are far from getting even close. Oh BTW, has he noticed the nice contracts that LA are able to dish out to some of their really talented players ? I’m sure he and has people have considered all these details….
Baseball America’s Prospect Handbook is on the way.
As we wait, we are teased with thirteen (13) players who have graded out at 80 for one skill or another. Last year, for reference, there were 18 such players.
As for Dodgers:
George and Lindsay for Speed.
Yean for Fastball
Oh, and at Dodger Digest Bruce Kuntz’ first and second team of prospects is worth a read:
Just read that, contrary to various reports, the Angels DID NOT make a larger bid for Hye-Seong Kim than the Dodgers did. So says Jeffrey Fletcher, longtime baseball writer for the OC Register.
At any rate, I’m very glad the Dodgers got Kim, in part because he won a KBO Gold Glove at SS before shifting to 2B, where he would win two more Gold Gloves. (The KBO honor is not just for fielding, but overall play. But we know that Kim plays high-quality defense.)
While I’m optimistic about Mookie at SS, it’s nice having Edman, Rojas and now Kim as SS options too. Taylor too–but he’d be very rusty.
This has been danced around on this board and others but Will Sammon and Andy McCullough look at the entropic nature caused by Sasaki’s posting and late signing date. ($$$$)
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6056989/2025/01/13/roki-sasaki-international-market-chaos/
… The wait is causing clubs to maneuver in atypical ways so close to signing day, either by delaying commitments with other prospects, completely reneging on big-money agreements or weighing trades involving international cash…
The Padres informed some players who were expected to be part of their upcoming signing class that they were free to seek other deals…The Dodgers have told players to consider signing as part of next year’s class if the team lands Sasaki and can’t acquire enough international bonus pool money via trade to honor their handshake agreements…
Question now is do the Dodgers sign any international players by the 15th or do they wait for Sasaki to make up his mind. They have lost two commits already.
Mike Petriello looks at if a 6-man rotation will become more commonplace and, if so, why.
https://www.mlb.com/news/why-more-mlb-teams-are-using-6-man-rotations
Noted this as it impact the Dodgers:
For example: When Willie Mays’ 1954 Giants won the ring with a World Series sweep, they played a total of 158 games…giving them 193 days off before the next year’s April 13 opener.
The 2024 champion Dodgers, however, had to play 178 games, with a month of expanded playoffs atop a 162-game regular season, and they’ll get only 139 days off…
Put it this way: Those 1954 Giants threw 1,427 total innings. The 2024 Dodgers threw 1,582 2/3, and they’ll get 54 fewer days off to recover from them.
Finally, for this morning, this is an interesting graphic:
https://x.com/Brooks_Gate/status/1878507489416602074
Read Scott’s tribute to his friend and former contributor to his site. Very moving and heartfelt. RIP Oscar Martinez.
Will Roki Sasaki become a Dodger? Don’t know.
Will Roki Sasaki become a Giant? He’s just told him the answer to that question is “No”.
Per Ben Badler:
The Dodgers have lost another potential Jan. 15 signing.
The White Sox flipped Orlando Patiño, a 6-foot-2 outfielder originally set to sign with LA when the signing period opened.
And, per Josh Thomas:
Teilon Serrano, the top teenaged IFA from the 2025 class who was linked to the Dodgers, has deleted the Dodgers from his IG profile
Ignore