The Los Angeles Dodgers are facing significant pressure from other teams to sign Japanese sensation Shoki Oda.
The competition for Oda
Oda, just 18 years old and still in high school in Japan, has taken the MLB by storm, meeting with nearly half the league.
The teenager has met with the Texas Rangers, Philadelphia Phillies, and the New York Mets, among other teams, according to international baseball reporter Francys Romero.
Additionally, he has meetings lined up with the St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays, Houston Astros, New York Yankees, and more in the coming hours, per Romero.
Where the Dodgers stand with Oda
The Dodgers are among the teams said to have met with Oda, though there is no new information on whether the meeting has taken place or will take place later.
Oda and the Dodgers have strong ties, as the Dodgers have targeted him for a while and he is a massive Yoshinobu Yamamoto fan.
He also only follows one team, the Dodgers, on Instagram.
On top of that, a Japanese news outlet reports that Oda may have contacted Dodgers officials during a recent visit stateside, including attending a Dodgers playoff game.
There is a ton of smoke around Oda and the Dodgers, and given their connection to Japanese talent, it is no mystery why.
Why Oda is talking to other teams
Still, Oda is not shy about doing his due diligence, meeting with a ton of possible suitors.
Since he is likely to enter international amateur free agency, he can’t go to the suitor willing to pay the most; instead, he’s bound by the international bonus pool.
The Dodgers will need to make a strong pitch to Oda, with all the teams in for him, and avoid relying on their past connection.
Given Roki Sasaki’s development and the team’s track record of honoring promises, that will certainly help.
