NL West

The Los Angeles Dodgers will reportedly make their pitch to Rōki Sasaki on Tuesday.

Fabian Ardaya and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported the National League West team is meeting with the 23-year-old pitcher and will feature several players in their presentations. Previous meetings with the other finalists in the Toronto Blue Jays and San Diego Padres did not include the teams' players, although they were permitted during city tours.

The deadline for one of the three finalists to sign Sasaki is Jan. 23.

Sasaki's meeting with the Dodgers is the latest development in a free-agency pursuit that accelerated this week.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Monday the Dodgers, Blue Jays and Padres were the three finalists after various reports indicated the New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants, New York Mets, Texas Rangers and Chicago Cubs were out.

Will Sammon, Dennis Lin and Andy McCullough of The Athletic reported the right-hander met with all of those teams before eliminating the list of potential suitors to three.

Perhaps Los Angeles can position itself in the driver's seat with the latest meeting of the three finalists. And it certainly has plenty to sell given the overall roster construction and its recent history of success.

Sasaki was teammates with Dodgers stars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Japan's title-winning team in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. If players are involved in the latest meeting between team and pitcher, they will surely be a part of the pitch.

Then there is the chance to win, which Los Angeles certainly presents.

It is the reigning World Series champion and has been to the playoffs 12 consecutive seasons. It reached the Fall Classic four times during that span and won it twice, and it would be anything but a surprise if it reached the sport's biggest stage once again even if it doesn't sign Sasaki this offseason.

After all, the star power with Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Yamamoto and Blake Snell, among others, is overwhelming. Sasaki may see the Dodgers as the best opportunity to play alongside some familiar faces and compete for a World Series title and react accordingly.

If that is the case, the other teams may not have much of a chance of landing him.

Newly acquired San Francisco Giants pitcher Justin Verlander's passion for the game is not something to question, as the right-hander "plans to pitch until he's 45," he told reporters.

"I wouldn't be back if I didn't think I could be great," Verlander said. "I really truly believe the experiences I had last year and leading into this year, I can be back to the pitcher I was not all that long ago when I won a Cy Young."

After signing a one-year, $15 million contract last week, the former 2011 MVP and 2006 Rookie of the Year will look to hit the ground running in San Francisco this season, coming close to his goal of continuing to pitch at 45 as he turns 42 at the start of February.

The veteran started his throwing practice earlier than usual during the offseason, already hitting 93 miles per hour and feeling good early on.

Last season, he averaged 93.4 miles per hour, so hitting 93 this early in the offseason is a promising sign for Verlander and Giants fans. Verlander told reporters that he had addressed some former shoulder and back issues that had limited him to 90.1 innings last season, though he did not go into details about what that entailed.

During Verlander's latest Cy Young season in 2022, he posted a career-best ERA of 1.75, allowing 116 hits while striking out 185, with a second-lowest WHIP of 0.829. Last season, over 17 games, he had a 5.48 ERA, allowing 98 hits while striking out 75, with a 1.384 WHIP.

In addition, Verlander has hopes of reaching the age benchmark while wearing No. 35, a number he has worn every time he has stepped onto the mound since 2005, except for his first two starts of his major league career.

That is, if he can seek the blessing from former Giants legend Brandon Crawford, who wore No. 35 for 13 seasons in San Francisco.

"I'm still putting a lot of thought into this," Verlander said. "I know that Buster (Posey) has reached out to Brandon Crawford, but I have not gotten the chance to talk to him personally."

Despite the uncertainties of how the year will shape out for Verlander, he is excited for the opportunity to turn his career around in a new location after underperforming in recent years with the Houston Astros.

"I've had a phenomenal ride with Houston, it's been a helluva chapter in my career…really last year left a sour taste in my mouth, not with the organization, just with myself," Verlander told reporters.

Japanese right-handed pitcher Rōki Sasaki has ruled out a handful of teams and is seemingly getting closer to making his decision.

According to ESPN's Jeff Pasan, the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays are the finalists to land Sasaki.

The Dodgers are looking to defend their 2024 World Series win and Sasaki would only add to an already-talented rotation. The Padres are coming off an impressive 93-69 season that saw them reach the NLDS, but bringing in Sasaki could help them get to the next level.

The Blue Jays, meanwhile, struggled in 2024 and could use a star pitcher like Sasaki to energize their club.

Sasaki reportedly visited the Padres over the weekend, per Dennis Lin, Will Sammon and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Before his visit to San Diego, Sasaki visited the Blue Jays.

Sasaki will be eligible to sign with a major league team on Wednesday when the international signing period opens.

The report of Sasaki's favorites comes after a handful of teams learned that he did not plan to sign with them. Jack Curry of YES reported that the New York Yankees were informed Sasaki would not sign with them while San Francisco Giants general manager Zack Minasian told reporters that Sasaki was not going to sign with the Giants.

Also on Monday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that the New York Mets are out of the running for Sasaki. Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reported that Sasaki informed the Texas Rangers he would be signing elsewhere.

Sasaki decided which clubs to rule out after holding meetings with the Yankees, Mets, Giants, Rangers, Blue Jays, Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs, according to Sammon, Lin and Andy McCullough of The Athletic.

Sasaki, 23, appears to be on his way to stardom in the majors. Last season with the Chiba Lotte Marines of Japan's Pacific League, Sasaki had 129 strikeouts, a 2.35 ERA and a 1.036 WHIP, posting a 10-5 record across 111 innings.

He'll now have the difficult task of deciding where to sign, though he has plenty of options. While his decision doesn't have to be immediate, he will need to sign by the final date of a 45-day posting window on Jan. 23.

Baseball fans at least know one team Japanese star Rōki Sasaki won't be signing with this offseason.

San Francisco Giants general manager Zack Minasian told reporters Monday that Sasaki's representatives informed the franchise it is out of the running. The Giants were among the teams with whom the starting pitcher had met ahead of his move to MLB.

The race to sign Sasaki is far more wide open than a traditional free agency sweepstakes because MLB rules cap his first contract at a fraction of what he'd get on the open market. His initial earnings will range between $5.1 million and $7.6 million because that's what teams have to spend with their international bonus pool money.

The Athletic's Will Sammon, Dennis Lin and Andy McCullough reported how interested suitors are letting some of their international targets sign elsewhere or seeing if players will wait a year to sign in order to preserve as much flexibility as they can with Sasaki in mind.

Given their luck—or lack thereof—when pursuing star free agents in recent years, the Giants probably weren't considered one of the top favorites to get Sasaki once this process got underway.

San Francisco, along with the Los Angeles Dodgers, has the lowest pool amount available and doesn't project as a serious contender heading into the 2025 season. The Giants finished 80-82 last year and the arrivals of shortstop Willy Adames and starting pitcher Justin Verlander don't make them significantly better on paper.

Landing Sasaki would've been a huge coup for Minasian and president of baseball operations Buster Posey in their first offseason running the front office. But they shouldn't come in for much criticism because fans will recognize San Francisco wasn't working with the strongest hand.

Los Angeles Dodgers star Freddie Freeman and his wife, Chelsea, donated $300,000 to wildfire relief efforts in Los Angeles, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Per Passan, the donation will be given to three organizations including the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, the Pasadena Fire Department and the Salvation Army.

According to CNN, roughly 166,800 Los Angeles County residents remain under evacuation warnings and approximately 57,830 structures are at risk from the fires.

The current Palisades and Eaton fires are two of the most destructive fires in Los Angeles County history, burning 33,700 acres of land (via CNN). Wildfires have killed 10 people.

Dodgers shortstop Chris Taylor is also doing what he can to help out, encouraging fans to donate to his CT3 foundation to assist with fire relief and pledging to match donations up to $5,000.

The Los Angeles Chargers announced that they were donating $200,000 to relief efforts on Wednesday. The Kroenke Family, owners of the Los Angeles Rams, revealed that they were donating $1 million benefitting the LAFD Foundation through their Kroenke Family Foundation.

On Friday, the NFL announced that the league was contributing $5 million to communities impacted by the wildfires in Los Angeles. Ownership groups of the Chargers, Rams, Minnesota Vikings and Houston Texans contributed to the donation.

Freeman has spent the past three seasons with the Dodgers, making All-Star appearances in each year. He hit .282 with 22 home runs and 89 RBIs in 2024. Freeman recorded four homers and drove in 13 runs during Los Angeles' recent postseason run, earning World Series MVP honors after the Dodgers clinched a championship.

The Rōki Sasaki sweepstakes appear to be centralized in Southern California.

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, "While the Los Angeles Dodgers have been the heavy favorites to sign Sasaki for the past year, with some teams convinced he already made up his mind, the San Diego Padres have emerged as the new choice among executives."

The Padres have had a very quiet offseason, which hasn't been the norm in the AJ Preller era, so it wouldn't be a surprise if a splash was coming.

Sasaki would fit that bill. The 23-year-old went 10-5 in in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball in 2024, posting a 2.35 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 129 strikeouts in 111 innings (18 games). He also made two appearances in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, going 1-0 with a 3.52 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 11 strikeouts in 7.2 innings.

At this point, he's the most intriguing starting pitcher on the market. The Padres signing him would not only bolster their rotation, but would also keep him away from their primary rivals.

The Cincinnati Reds are reportedly adding depth to their infield.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Monday that the National League Central team acquired infielder Gavin Lux from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for outfield prospect Mike Sirota and a competitive balance Round A pick.

This comes after Passan previously reported the New York Yankees asked the Dodgers about Lux's availability on the trade market.

MLB insider Jim Bowden reported there is no expectation the Reds will now turn around and ship him to the American League East team:

That the Yankees would potentially be interested in Lux comes as no surprise, as they have a void at second base after Gleyber Torres signed with the Detroit Tigers this offseason. With that as the backdrop, Passan also noted New York asked the San Diego Padres about Luis Arráez.

As for Lux, the Dodgers' decision to sign Hyeseong Kim could have drastically impacted the veteran's playing time.

Rather than have him on the bench, Los Angeles shipped him to a Reds team looking to bounce back from a 77-85 season and fourth-place finish in the National League Central. It has been a relatively busy offseason for Cincinnati, which also traded second baseman Jonathan India to the Kansas City Royals in a move that landed it starting pitcher Brady Singer.

What's more, the Reds also kept pitcher Nick Martinez after he accepted his qualifying offer this offseason and, most notably, hired manager Terry Francona.

Lux could help fill some of the void left by India's departure at second base. Matt McLain—who missed the 2024 season with a shoulder injury—was expected to start at second, although he saw time in center field in the Arizona Fall League.

The 27-year-old Lux won two World Series during his six years with the Dodgers and appeared in 139 games last season while slashing .251/.320/.383 with 10 home runs, 50 RBI and five stolen bases.

From Los Angeles' perspective, Sirota was Cincinnati's 14th-best overall prospect on MLB.com's 2024 rankings and provides some organizational outfield depth. He was a third-round pick in the 2024 draft.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have reportedly landed a star from Korea.

Per The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya, the Dodgers are in agreement with Korean Baseball Organization infielder Hye-seong Kim ahead of the end of his posting window, which closes Friday.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported the contract is for three years with an option for 2028-29 and includes $12.5 million guaranteed. Heyman noted that the contract is worth up to $22 million.

Kim, 25, has been in the KBO since 2017 and spent the last six seasons with the Kiwoom Heroes. In 127 games with the Heroes last season, he hit .326/.383/.458 with 26 doubles, four triples, 11 home runs, 75 RBI, 90 runs and 30 stolen bases. He's hit .304/.364/.403 for his career.

Kim mostly plays second base but has also spent time at shortstop and third base, meaning the Dodgers will get a versatile defender who can adjust to different spots in the infield if needed.

Right now, the Dodgers have Gavin Lux at second, Mookie Betts at shortstop and Max Muncy at third, though Kim could make his way into the starting lineup with a strong showing in spring training later this year.

Los Angeles will now begin its title defense boasting a handful of strong new additions, with Kim just adding to the list.

The Los Angeles Dodgers' front office is seen as the best in baseball according to a survey of executives and coaches by The Athletic.

One executive told The Athletic that the first-place vote for Los Angeles was "self-explanatory. They are elite at everything."

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman has been with the franchise since the fall of 2014, taking over a "treasure trove" of talent from former president Ned Colletti, per The Athletic. However, nearly all of those inherited stars are now gone, with the exception of Clayton Kershaw.

Along with general manager Brandon Gomes, assistant general managers Jeff Kingston and Alex Slater and advisor Josh Byrnes, the Dodgers' front office, led by Friedman, is referred to as a true "juggernaut," according to The Athletic.

The Athletic reported that when Friedman joined the team in 2014, his goal was to make his tenure known as the "golden era of Dodger Baseball." With no missed postseason appearances since then, two World Series titles and two National League pennant wins, Friedman has certainly accomplished this.

In addition, the acquisition of three-time MVP and former Rookie of the Year Shohei Ohtani has further solidified his achievement of that goal.

"Billy Gasparino, the scouting director recently promoted to vice president of baseball operations, has drafted well despite picking in the latter half of the first round every summer," The Athletic wrote. "The farm system continues to churn out prospects. The roster tends to be well-managed. Friedman often corrects big-league deficiencies with midseason acquisitions; the stars he has acquired at the deadline include Max Scherzer, Trea Turner and Manny Machado."

Another executive highlighted Friedman's ability to identify and sign the right stars, citing his acquisitions of Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Shohei Ohtani as prime examples, per The Athletic.

"Another executive explained, that stems from the front office's "insane discipline," not wasting resources on mid-tier players so that when a star becomes available, the team can pounce," The Athletic wrote. "Andrew," another executive said, "is the best at this."

The Los Angeles Dodgers have met with Japanese ace Rōki Sasaki during his posting window, according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic.

Ardaya noted that the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers and San Francisco Giants have also conducted meetings with the right-hander.

The San Diego Padres are among the teams in pursuit of Sasaki, as Padres manager Mike Shildt said that they're "very optimistic" about their chances to land the 23-year-old (via MLB.com's AJ Cassavell).

Sasaki is coming off another strong season with Nippon Professional Baseball's Chiba Lotte Marines in 2024, compiling a 10-5 record to go along with a 2.35 ERA and 1.036 WHIP in 18 appearances. He also racked up 129 strikeouts compared to 32 walks in 111 innings of work.

In four NPB seasons, Sasaki owned a 2.10 ERA as well as an average of 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings.

ESPN's Buster Olney reported on Dec. 5 that there is "widespread industry belief" the pitcher has already picked a team, and that it is "most likely" the Dodgers.

Los Angeles signed two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani as well as starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto in free agency following its 2023 campaign, giving them contracts with a combined total value exceeding $1 billion.

Both players have a connection with Sasaki, as all three were members of the same Team Japan roster during its 2023 World Baseball Classic victory.

The Dodgers won't be able to offer Sasaki anything they want, as all of his potential suitors can only use international signing bonus pool money to sign him since he's an international amateur free agent under 25 years old.

Still, Los Angeles' 2024 World Series title and the team's roster filled with familiar faces may be enough to sway Sasaki following the reported meeting between both sides.