Roki Sasaki Next Team Odds: Potential MLB Destinations for Japan's Star Pitcher

By Adam Martin Jan 14th, 2025 2:28 PM EET

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One of Japan’s top pitchers, Roki Sasaki is on his way to the MLB as the Chiba Lotte Marines are posting the 23-year-old flamethrower. It’s expected that several top MLB teams will be bidding huge amounts of money for his services.

With a signing expected before Jan. 23, Bookies.com veteran oddsmaker Adam Thompson has now updated his MLB odds for what MLB team will land Sasaki in free agency this offseason. 

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Roki Sasaki 2025 Team Odds

Odds are projected and do not reflect any odds that may be available at legal betting sites or betting apps.

MLB Teams Likely to Pursue Roki Sasaki

Sasaki is expected to sign once the international amateur signing period begins on Jan. 15, and he must have a deal in place by Jan. 23 or he is returned to his home team for 2025. 

The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres are strong contenders to land Sasaki. Many Japanese and Korean imports prefer the West Coast teams for the distance. The Dodgers are the defending World Series champions, while the Padres gave L.A. its toughest test to the crown and have the revered Yu Darvish on the roster. Each would be an enticing destination for Sasaki. 

MLB insider Jim Bowden noted that priorities from Sasaki's camp include endorsement potential, win chances, and pitching development are all factors. That likely doesn't hurt either of those teams, though it likely offers L.A. a bigger boost. 

New York could have also made sense from that standpoint, and the New York Yankees and New York Mets are both strongly interested in adding Sasaki to the rotation. But reports surfaced on Jan. 13 that both teams have been told that the phenom pitcher will not be playing his homes games in the Big Apple for 2025. 

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In fact, Sasaki narrowed his list down to just three teams on that same evening of Jan. 13. The Dodgers and Padres, as expected, were on it, as were the Toronto Blue Jays, who have been at least in the running for many of the big-name free agents this off-season but have come up just short in most cases. 

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About the Author

Adam Martin

More About Adam

A writer based out of Toronto, Adam Martin has covered professional sports, with an emphasis on sports gambling, for more than a decade, writing for such outlets as The Toronto Star and Sportsnet. He is an expert in UFC, while also covering NHL betting and the Stanley Cup.