"Yu Darvish told Shota Imanaga, Seiya Suzuki I loved it there" - MLB sportscaster links Roki Sasaki to Cubs despite past miss out on Shohei Ohtani

Japanese ace Roki Sasaki is the most highly rated player to make the move across the Pacific this year, and one podcaster believes the Chicago Cubs would be the best fit for him.

The Cubs have a strong history of signing Japanese players and already have two players from Japan on their roster: Shota Imanaga and Seiya Suzuki. While several teams are interested in Sasaki, podcaster David Kaplan believes the Cubs can beat the competition:

"They've had good luck with Japanese players. Even when they traded Yu Darvish, he told Shota Imanaga and Seiya Suzuki 'I loved it there, you should go there,' and they did."

Roki Sasaki is a 23-year-old pitcher who has already had an impressive start to his career in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He has now been posted to the MLB market this offseason and has attracted interest from several teams, including the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs have been active in the offseason and could use a signing like Sasaki.

According to David Kaplan, the Cubs have signed several good Japanese players in the past and have been successful in creating an appealing environment for them.

They were among the frontrunners to land Shohei Ohtani when he moved to MLB but narrowly missed out on him. However, with Imanaga and Suzuki already on the roster, Chicago could be an appealing destination for Sasaki.

MLB insider believes that the San Diego Padres have a good chance of signing Roki Sasaki

Soon after Roki Sasaki was posted in the MLB market, many believed the Los Angeles Dodgers would quickly add him to their star-studded roster. However, as of December, he remains a free agent. Insider Jon Heyman has backed the San Diego Padres as real contenders for his signature:

"I think that the Padres have a real shot at Sasaki," Heyman said.

It is well-known that Sasaki holds Yu Darvish in high regard, and that could influence his decision on his future team. While the Dodgers and Cubs are also pursuing Sasaki, only time will tell who comes out on top.