Insider's update reveals Dodgers, Padres racing to make final play at Roki Sasaki

Roki Sasaki is expected to make a decision on where to sign in the coming days, and the Los Angeles Dodgers have been scrambling.

Three of LA's former international prospects already re-entered the market and were scooped up by other teams to free up bonus pool money that it could instead give to Sasaki. The Dodgers and Giants have the least amount of allocated money at $5,146,200, while the Padres and Blue Jays have $6,261,600.

These three teams are the only ones left in the Sasaki hunt. A reported 20 teams sent information to Sasaki, but only eight got an initial in-person meeting before the holidays. He's since returned to the States and held second meetings with the Blue Jays, Padres, and Dodgers and only has a week left to decide before his window closes on Jan. 23.

It'd be wrong to count out the Blue Jays entirely here. Sasaki can't keep them in the running to drive up his price, as many fully-fledged free agents have done, so there has to be something he liked about Toronto. However, the Dodgers and Padres have been considered the frontrunners from the very beginning.

Dodgers, Padres in a mad dash for extra bonus pool money to offer Roki Sasaki

They must be feeling pretty good about their chances versus Toronto's because Mark Feinsand reported on Wednesday that both the Dodgers and Padres had been calling around the league to try to make trades for more bonus pool money.

It seemed like a huge leap for the Dodgers to give up some of their most promising international prospects in a move that could leave the 2025 class barren if Sasaki goes to the Padres, but LA must feel good about its chances. That would be more reassuring if the Padres weren't also trying to gather up bonus pool money too, but the media back-and-forth about the Dodgers' versus the Padres' chances have made it clear that no one's certain where Sasaki is leaning. It really could be 50/50, and all either club can do is try to put itself in the best position.

The Dodgers are clearly ready to throw a lot away for Sasaki. If they make any trades for more bonus pool money, there are a few major leaguers on the roster who could be candidates, but it's more likely that they'd give up yet more prospects. It's Sasaki or bust for LA.