"Juan Soto loves spotlight, Roki Sasaki doesn't want that" - MLB insider predicts NL West battle for superstar free agent

Some like the spotlight, while some don't. International free agent buzz Roki Sasaki belongs to the latter category, as per insider Buster Olney on Thursday on The Michael Kay Show.

With little in the hands of GMs but a lot on where the Japanese ace wants to be, Sasaki's free agency is expected to land between the LA Dodgers or the San Diego Padres. Sasaki would have his countrymates and bonafide stars in Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto at the Dodgers, while he would have Yu Darvish, a star pitcher, at the Padres.

Olney highlights a fascinating contrast between Juan Soto and Sasaki. While Soto thrives in the spotlight, Sasaki's personality suggests he may seek a quieter role, potentially impacting his free agency decision. Olney said.

"The takeaway from some of the people who've done background work on him is he really doesn't want the stage," Olney said (12:03 onwards). "Like, Juan Soto is a star. Juan Soto loves the stage; he loves being in the spotlight. Their perception of Sasaki, at 23, still a young guy, still evolving as a person, is that he doesn't necessarily want that.

"And the way that's being interpreted by the teams that were talking to him is he either wants to be in a small market where he doesn't have to deal with idiots like me, or he wants to be like the eighth or ninth biggest star on a team. And that would obviously be the Dodgers."

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Buster Olney predicts Roki Sasaki's free agency destination, claims decision has already been made

While addressing Roki Sasaki's free agency destination, Buster Olney feels that it's between the Dodgers and the Padres.

"My guess is he's going to go to the Dodgers because the Dodgers seem to get everybody that they want," Olney said.

However, Olney also pointed to the San Diego Padres as a potential wildcard.

"But you know, Padres' AJ Preller—he's really inventive," the insider added.

Olney claimed that many teams believe Roki Sasaki’s decision was made weeks ago, with the announcement merely pending.

"Many of the teams that I've spoken to who are involved in this believe that the decision about where he's going to go was made weeks ago, and they're just waiting to hear what it is," Olney said.

With the international signing period started on Wednesday, expect a decision to come from the Japanese ace soon.