Padres Eliminated From Roki Sasaki Sweepstakes
4 mins agoMLB.com's Francys Romero reports that according to multiple sources, the San Diego Padres are out of the sweepstakes for Japanese free-agent right-hander Roki Sasaki. Instead, the Padres will begin their international signings of Jhoan De La Cruz and Carlos Alvarez ($1 million) on Friday. A report earlier this week suggested that the Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays were the three finalists for Sasaki's services. The Dodgers have been considered the favorites to land the Japanese phenom all offseason, and they also had the privilege of the last in-person meeting with Sasaki. MLB Network's Jon Morosi reports that Sasaki has been very impressed with the Dodgers and is very connected with right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The 23-year-old Sasaki comes with durability concerns but has a high ceiling as a fantasy asset heading into his rookie year thanks to a 100-plus mph fastball and a four-pitch mix.
Source: MLB.com - Francys Romero
Source: MLB.com - Francys Romero