"If any team helps Dodgers, they should be shunned" - Fans react as Dodgers, Padres looking to trade international bonus pool money for Roki Sasaki

Fans reacted as all teams except the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres and the Toronto Blue Jays have emerged as the finalists for Roki Sasaki. Wednesday marked the opening of the international bonus pool with a lot of activity around the league, with teams locking in their top international prospects.

Sasaki, a Japanese pitcher, had to go through the international bonus pool, as he's under 25. But teams have limited caps for the same. Los Angeles are tied for the lowest with $5.15 million, while the Padres and the Blue Jays have $6.27 million each to spend.

Insider Mark Feinsand reported that the Los Angeles Dodgers as well as the San Diego Padres are looking to trade for international bonus pool money by sending their players to other teams. Teams can trade for money in increments of $250,000 and can only add up to 60% of their initial cap.

That brought out reactions from fans on X as the baseball community were enraged that a team like the Dodgers were again using the league's rules to their advantage.

"If any team in MLB helps the Dodgers out they should be shunned for decades," one wrote.

"Why would any team help the dodgers?," another wrote.

"Both those teams can stick it," a fan made their opinion known.

"No one should help the dodgers," an anrgy fan commented.

"Any team that trades money to LAD to facilitate a Roki deal should be relegated to A ball," another wrote.

"Dodgers trying to spend their way out of it. classic," a fan said.

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Mark Feinsand reports teams other than the Dodgers trying to trade for international bonus pool money as well

While the Dodgers and the Padres might be publicly looking for some extra cash to their bonus pool, other teams too are looking to use the same tactic. Keeping Sasaki aside, teams could always benefit from the extra money to lure the best international prospecs.

"There are a number of teams asking for international money some that you would guess and some that you would not. (LA & SD) are certainly reaching out but they aren’t alone, other teams are recognizing opportunities," an executive said (as per Feinsand).

When Shohei Ohtani was posted to the MLB, the Los Angeles Angels had to trade for international bonus pool money, acquiring extra $1 milion in cash from a trade with the Minnesota Twins. The Dodgers themselves got the same cash in 2023 when they had acquired Korean prospect Hyun-Seok Jang. It remains to be seen if they can pull of something similar this time.