The Los Angeles Dodgers may not actually be the favorites to sign 23-year-old Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki in free agency.

Once news emerged that top Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki is set to be posted for MLB teams, the consensus that emerged suggested that the Dodgers were his most likely landing spot. A new report suggests,

For years, Seattle was regarded as a premier destination for Japanese players making the jump to Major League Baseball. The Mariners had strong ties across the Pacific: They had a longtime owner, Hiroshi Yamauchi,

Despite reports of a grand chase for Japanese free agent Roki Sasaki, one of his former teammates suggests a deal

The Dodgers have sought to, in the words of manager Dave Roberts, “paint the country of Japan blue” through their leveraging of last winter’s Japanese signings, Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. They’ve fostered a strong relationship with Sasaki’s agent,

Last November, the Philadelphia Phillies made a bold move - locking up ace Aaron Nola with a seven-year, $172 million contract. The post MLB Rumors: Phillies' Roki Sasaki Pursuit Risks at Turning Into a Yoshinobu Yamamoto Redux Due to One Surprising Reason appeared first on EssentiallySports.