Dodgers Rumors: Roki Sasaki buzz could actually hurt LA in first free agency go-round

It's official: Roki Sasaki is coming to MLB. After an evidently years-long battle with his NPB team, the Chiba Lotte Marines, they've agreed to post their 23-year-old ace and allow him to make the transfer to the States as an amateur free agent.

Despite the fact that he'll make a minuscule amount of money compared to what he could've earned if he'd waited until he was 25, Sasaki has clearly been itching to make the move for a long time and has reportedly been pushing for it to happen behind the scenes.

Corbin Burnes was the hottest free agent pitcher on the market, but now the conversation has totally shifted toward Sasaki, whose ultimate decision about where to sign won't/can't be about money, given posting regulations. The Dodgers immediately appeared to have a leg up in the chase — they have a longstanding relationship with him, they have Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and they just won the World Series. Former Cy Young winner Dallas Keuchel, who was teammates with Sasaki this year in NPB, said, "If I was Vegas, I would definitely put [the Dodgers] as the favorite."

However, there's also reason to believe that Sasaki might be eyeing smaller-market teams to at least start his career with, according to one seasoned Japanese baseball insider with a source in the righty's camp.

Roki Sasaki might not be as much of a lock for the Dodgers as fans think

When Ohtani signed with the Angels, he did so for just a $2.315 million signing bonus on top of league minimum, and because the Angels were reportedly the only team that would allow him to be a two-way player while multiple other courting teams (including the Dodgers) wouldn't. While that obviously won't be a factor for Sasaki, his decision-making won't just be about who will be able to offer him the most money, which then opens the doors for pretty much every team in the league to at least check in on him.

There's still a lot of reason to believe that the Dodgers have multiple advantages here, but there will be a feeding frenzy around Sasaki like no other, and LA can't just bait him with a multi-million dollar offer.

After the Dodgers signed Ohtani, they put him (and Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman) in a room with Yamamoto to make LA's case. Now, they have both Ohtani and Yamamoto to throw at Sasaki, and a brand new World Series trophy to show off. It's probably frustrating to the Dodgers that all they can do now is make an emotional appeal, but they still have plenty of firepower in that department.