The Los Angeles Dodgers seem like the inevitable landing spot for Roki Sasaki. They are the reigning World Series champions and have a large fanbase in Japan. If not the Dodgers, the San Diego Padres are widely considered another frontrunner for the free agent.
Both Southern California teams have Japanese-born players on their roster. The Dodgers have Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto while the Padres have Yu Darvish. All three played alongside Sasaki at the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Although many people factor their presence into where Sasaki will sign, the right-hander’s agent revealed it is irrelevant to Sasaki.