The San Diego Padres are in "strong position" to land Chiba Lotte Marines starting pitcher Roki Sasaki, per reporter Francys Romero. MLB commissioner

The Padres are reportedly in a "strong position" to sign star pitcher Roki Sasaki in MLB free agency before the 2025 season.

Roki Sasaki is the latest Japanese star headed to MLB, but he may not be going to the team many of the country’s top players have gone in recent years.

Anyway, the equation changed, the script flipped and the Dodgers look a level or three above everyone else since they signed the $182M, two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell after they somehow managed to win the World Series with most of their better starting pitchers either injured or inactive.

The promising Japanese pitcher will be part of next year’s international amateur class. Here’s what that means for his future.

Roki Sasaki’s posting will likely extend into the 2025 international signing period, according to baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred, allowing teams as much as $7,555,500 to sign the prized Japanese pitcher.

Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred shares to the media that Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki will be available for the league.

The international bonus pools reset when the new signing period starts in 2025, with every team having between $5 million and $8 million. Sasaki will get more money by waiting, and that matters to the Marines because the posting fee they get will be 20% of his signing bonus.

Japanese superstar Roki Sasaki's MLB free agency might end up being a total crapshoot. At just 23, Sasaki is coming to MLB as an amateur free agent, which will keep him from making anything close to what he would've if he'd waited until he was 25.