Roki Sasaki's NL West destination set at 51 percent likelihood, per ex-MLB GM

MLB teams have been quite busy in the free agent market over the past couple of weeks this offseason, but Roki Sasaki remains unattached to any team. It has been an open battle among teams looking to sign the 23-year-old starting pitcher, as he will be available for a relatively small sum due to the regulations regarding players posted to the international free agent pool.

Emmy-winning baseball analyst Ned Colletti believes the Los Angeles Dodgers are by far the overwhelming favorites to sign Roki Sasaki, giving them a 51% chance of landing the Japanese star. Colletti believes that Sasaki has made up his mind about where he will start his MLB career but is still discussing offers with teams to survey the league landscape.

Ned Colletti, the general manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2006 to 2014, said on a podcast for the NorCal Sports Network on Thursday about the free agency of Roki Sasaki [0 - 6:27]

"I'll be surprised if he's not in a Dodgers uniform. I'd say 51% Dodgers and 49% the rest of baseball," Colletti said. "The way the Dodgers have prospered, how they play, how they prepare, the success they've had. Nobody else has had the success they've had, maybe since divisional play.

"They've got everything going for them," he added. "They've got the best player in the game, and they've got other great players sitting with him. I think signing Teo Hernández was a huge move and sets up their lineup. They just went with more defence with Kim the other day. They're the place to be. They're a destination."

The Dodgers started the offseason by offering a contract extension to utility man Tommy Edman and adding two-time Cy Young-winner Blake Snell to their starting rotation.

They also re-signed All-Star outfielder Teoscar Hernández to a three-year deal before acquiring infielder Hyeseong Kim from the KBO League.

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Ned Colletti feels the Dodgers would be the ideal destination for Roki Sasaki

Roki Sasaki won the 2023 World Baseball Classic with Japan (Image Source: Imagn)

Ned Colletti pointed out two other reasons why he feels the Los Angeles Dodgers would be the most attractive destination for Roki Sasaki, given that the potential money offered by each team is likely to be the same.

Colletti said that Sasaki would have the opportunity to generate a sizeable income off the field if he resides in Los Angeles. He also said that the deep and experienced Dodgers starting rotation would give the rookie a chance to take the mound without much pressure on his shoulders as he adapts to the demands of the MLB.

"The good fortune that the Dodgers have had, coupled with the success they've cultivated and executed, I don't know anybody else that comes close to that, especially if the money is relatively the same," Colletti said. "The opportunities to make more money off the field are only going to be in L.A.

"They have such a deep rotation and such a deep (pitching) staff. If you're coming over like (Yoshinobu) Yamamoto a year ago. They're not expecting you to make 30 starts and throw 180-200 innings," he added. "You're not going to be rushed into a situation. You're not going to be put into a rotation where we expect you to pitch every fifth day."

Roki Sasaki was posted by the Chiba Lotte Marines of the NPB after just four seasons. In Japan, teams usually field six-man rotations, a strategy also used by the Los Angeles Dodgers.