Dodgers Asking 2025 International Signees to Wait Until 2026 as Roki Sasaki Nears Decision

As the Los Angeles Dodgers prepare to offer Roki Sasaki a contract from their international bonus pool, the organization has put all other international amateur signings on hold. The Dodgers have suggested the incoming 2025 class instead sign the following year, an indication the team hopes to land the Japanese phenom despite being among teams with the least amount of money in their international bonus pool.

Sasaki is expected to sign in the next international signing period which opens in just a few days on Jan. 15. Around this time is when the second round of meetings with teams is expected to take place. Whether the Dodgers received another meeting with the 23-year-old pitcher is currently unknown at this time.

During the Dodgers’ re-introductory press conference for Teoscar Hernández, general manager Brandon Gomes was asked if the team would have a second meeting with Sasaki.

“I’m not able to say at this time,” Gomes said. “I hope so.”

The Dodgers were among one of the teams to receive an “unspecified homework assignment” from the 23-year-old pitcher. Joel Wolfe of Wasserman, Sasaki’s agent, provided some context surrounding the mysterious task.

“Without giving the actual details of what that assignment was,” Wolfe said, “every team got that very same assignment, and it enabled them to show how they can analyze and communicate information with him, and really showed where he was coming from in analyzing and creating his selection criteria, in looking at different teams.”

The Sasaki sweepstakes are expected to come down to the final hour as the second round of meetings will take place just before he signs.

“The timeline for Round 2 is going to lead right up until he signs,” Wolfe said, via Will Sammon of The Athletic. “We’re still talking and having Zoom calls. So I don’t have a precise timeline for that, like we did for the meetings. Teams will be notified at some point if there’s going to be additional meetings or travel or something like that. But other than that, I don’t believe there’s going to be any specific timeline.”

During four seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball, Sasaki posted a 29-15 record with a 2.10 ERA and 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings. Last season, he dealt with injuries but still had a 10-5 record with a 2.35 ERA. Sasaki is regarded as one of the most talented young pitchers in the world, but is even more attractive to teams for his affordability.

Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports