JAPANESE ACE IN THE MIX FOR THE YANKEES, MAYBE

The Los Angeles Dodgers are flexing their financial muscles in the international signing bonus pool game, sitting atop the leaderboard with $2,502,500 to spend. The Yankees, meanwhile, have a more modest $1,487,200 at their disposal. And in this high-stakes competition for Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki, every dollar matters.

Sasaki, a 23-year-old pitching sensation, is the talk of MLB—basically Shohei Ohtani without the hitting. I know, I'm being dramatic. He’s considered an international amateur free agent, meaning he’s bound by MLB rules that cap international bonus pools and limit him to a minor league deal since he’s under 25 and hasn’t logged six seasons in Japan’s NPB. Those rules suppress his earning potential now, but if Sasaki had waited two more years, he’d likely be staring down a nine-figure payday. Timing, as they say, is everything.

The Dodgers are widely considered the favorites to land Sasaki. Not only do they have the biggest bonus pool this year, but their 2025 cap of $5.1 million gives them serious leverage. And rumors are swirling—reported by The Athletic—that Sasaki might already have an unwritten agreement to join the Dodgers. These whispers have even reached MLB’s commissioner’s office and Dodgers brass, though nobody’s spilling the beans publicly.  Don't worry though, Sasaki's agent Joel Wolfe came out and said quote: "A bunch of executives who should know me better and do a lot of business with me insult my integrity by insinuating that I would be a park of some type of nefarious agreement. In reality, it's just poor sportsmanship." Damn, you gotta respect that he came out hard against the accusation.

The Yankees? Well, Hal Steinbrenner says Sasaki is a “tremendous pitcher” but admitted the team hasn’t had “any real discussions” about potential Japanese postings yet. Translation: They’re interested but not exactly leading the charge. And then there are the Mets, who could also make a play for Sasaki. Owner Steve Cohen has shown he’s not shy about opening his wallet, and pairing Sasaki with Kodai Senga might just make the Mets a dark horse in this race.

As a guy who writes for the regular MLB rules, I’ll openly admit international rules make my head spin. All these bonus pools, caps, and restrictions are a labyrinth, so forgive me if I’ve oversimplified things. What’s clear, though, is that Sasaki has many teams scrambling—and whoever wins this sweepstakes will walk away with a potential franchise ace.