Blue Jays insider gets real on Roki Sasaki sweepstakes, finds silver lining even if Padres or Dodgers acquire superstar free agent

After 20 teams showed interest in Roki Sasaki, the Japanese pitcher met with a handful. With 10 days to go before his posting time expires, as per a report by insider Jon Heyman, he has narrowed it down to three teams - the two frontrunners right from the start, Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres and a surprise destination, Toronto Blue Jays.

On Baseball Isn't Boring podcast, Blue Jays reporter Ben Nicholson-Smith said that even if the Blue Jays miss out on Roki Sasaki, they are going to be happy with their efforts.

The analyst referenced Blue Jays' pursuit of Shohei Ohtani, coming within a whisker of snatching him away from Los Angeles Dodgers. The team must be doing something right to attract Japanese talent to the lesser-fancied East coast, he said.

"I actually think it's a good thing for the Blue Jays that this did leak. I've asked Ross Atkins about this, and he has declined to comment on it, so the Blue Jays are being quiet about this. But I actually think if I was them, I would kind of want this out there because even if he goes to the Padres, what about the Japanese players right now who are 18, 19, 20 years old?

"They're reading headlines, they're seeing, hey, 'Not only did Ohtani take the Blue Jays seriously, but Roki Sasaki did. Maybe I should too'. So I think that's actually, you know, set aside your fans, your next recruitment process of trying to get Japanese players over to Toronto. I think that's a great thing," Nicholson-Smith said. [10:41]

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Roki Sasaki spotted working out in Toronto, per speculated reports

The Athletic reported on Monday that a pitcher with the same physique as Roki Sasaki was spotted in Toronto. Attendees at the Baseball Canada Awards at the Rogers Centre hotel claimed that a Japanese pitcher whose built and pitching style resembled that of Sasaki's was throwing balls on a flat surface.

Roki Sasaki's decision to travel to Toronto might increase the buzz that has already generated for the Blue Jays. Throughout the offseason, the Dodgers and the Padres have leveraged their already exisiting Japanese talent as a pull factor for Sasaki.

However, for a youngster trying to become a star in a new league, the 23-year-old might head to Canada in hopes of becoming the face of the organization.