Handshake Gate: Rōki Sasaki’s Agent Disputes Dodgers Report

Roki Sasaki was another name thrown into the mix of big names to acquire this winter as the Chiba Lotte Marines announced they intend to post the right-hander for MLB free agency.

Sasaki’s potential has attracted the eye of every team around Major League Baseball with pitching at such a premium around the league.

The 23-year-old has been actively scouted by the Los Angeles Dodgers and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman for some time, but rumors surrounding his posting have taken on a bulk of the chatter and some within the industry feel there is already a handshake agreement between the two sides.

This week, Sasaki’s agent Joel Wolfe of Wasserman vehemently pushed back on a belief that a deal with the Dodgers is already in place, per Evan Drellich of The Athletic:

“While a bunch of executives who should know me better and do a lot of business with me insult my integrity by insinuating that I would be a part of some type of nefarious agreement,” Wolfe told The Athletic, “in reality, this is just poor sportsmanship.”

Any potential deal with an international free agent before their official posting date is against MLB rules, and the league forbids teams from engaging in such agreements.

The Dodgers did not comment on the matter, and MLB is apparently intending to check with all parties to ensure the guidelines are upheld. In their pursuit of starting pitching, Sasaki is still at the top of their list of possible additions.

Even without any handshake agreement, most still feel the Dodgers ultimately end up with Sasaki.

Playing with Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto should appeal to Sasaki after they all played together in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, but Ohtani has said he isn’t actively recruiting the young pitcher to join them.

Roki Sasaki to hold off until 2025 international signing period

Sasaki is also likely to wait until the 2025 signing period, which allows the allotment MLB teams have more money to offer him as an international amateur free agent.

The Dodgers will be on the lower-end of money available, which equals to around $5.1 million. Teams at the highest point will have a bit more than $7.5 million.

Although money is important, Sasaki is more likely to choose the best fit for his development after passing on a much more significant contract to come to MLB early.