One month out from the start of Spring Training and MLB teams are still waiting on a Roki Sasaki decision. With most of the major free agents off the board, the Sasaki sweepstakes are starting to ramp up — and it's getting wild.
Sasaki, 23, is not eligible for a major free agent contract and therefore must be signed with international bonus pool money. Due to the unusual circumstances, MLB executives are bracing for the unexpected, according to a report from The Athletic.
“It could get crazy,” an “experienced international evaluator” told the outlet in a story published Monday.
The MLB international signing period opens on January 15 and the phenom's negotiation window closes on the 23rd. His agent, Joel Wolfe, expects Sasaki to sign in that window.
With about a third of MLB clubs hoping to gain Sasaki's services The Athletic reports that teams are approaching the signing period in an “atypical” way by “either by delaying commitments with other prospects, completely reneging on big-money agreements or weighing trades involving international cash.”
“It’s absolutely insane right now trying to figure out who is actually available,” an international executive added. “It’s a balance of acknowledging deals in place but also not wanting to miss out if someone is actually available. Plus agents are also using the situation to get more money with a new club than the one they originally agreed with. And there’s been more dialogue about international money trades, too. … It’s a lot.”
Has Yu Darvish made the Padres the favorites for Roki Sasaki?

The San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, Toronto Blue Jays and Texas Rangers are all known to be in the mix for Sasaki, and while the Dodgers were once the favorites to land him, that may no longer be the case.
USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported last week that the Padres are emerging as executives' picks for Sasaki, and there's good reason to think they may be right. Of course no one would ever count out clubs like the Dodgers, Mets or Yankees, but the Padres can offer him some things that those teams cannot.
For one, San Diego already has Yu Darvish, one of Sasaki's mentors, on the team. Dennis Lin of The Athletic reported that Darvish has a “Godfather-like relationship” with the young hurler and that he “badly” wants Sasaki in the rotation.
Additionally, Sasaki's deal being limited to bonus pool money evens the playing field. Smaller market teams like the Padres could compete with some of the biggest spenders is in the game for him (not that the Padres don't already have their share of major contracts on payroll). San Diego has not spent any money in free agency this year and could be putting all its eggs in the Sasaki basket as the team aims to return to the postseason.