The stars are aligning! Japan’s ace Roki Sasaki is on the brink of a Major League debut, poised to electrify fans stateside in the 2025 season. The Chiba Lotte Marines have announced they’ll be posting Sasaki, the consensus top young pitcher in Nippon Professional Baseball. The 23-year-old phenom, who turned 23 on November 3, has dazzled in NPB since his 2021 debut, wielding a fiery fastball that blazes past 100 mph, a lethal splitter, and a rapidly developing slider. Over four commanding seasons, he’s recorded a lifetime 2.02 ERA, punching out 524 batters while walking only 91 across 414 2/3 innings.
The posting process will open a 45-day negotiation window for all 30 MLB teams. If a deal isn’t reached, Sasaki will return to the Marines for another season, with his next eligibility for posting in 2026. His posting also requires the signing MLB club to pay a release fee to Chiba Lotte: 20% for any Major League contract guaranteed at $25 million or below.
As Sasaki enters the scene, many eyes turn to the Dodgers, a powerhouse in the international market, who recently signed Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a record-breaking $325 million deal. With a hefty bonus pool and Andrew Friedman likely angling for more, the Dodgers are well-positioned for a high-stakes bid. Sasaki, alongside Japan’s elite like Shohei Ohtani and Yamamoto, brought home the 2023 World Baseball Classic title, proving his big-game prowess. Now, he stands ready to bring that fire to the Majors, setting the stage for an era-defining journey.
The Dodgers have the most international signing bonus money available ($2,502,500) and could get more with a trade involving Gavin Lux, Bobby Miller, Tony Gonsolin, or others. Look for Andrew Friedman to try and grab more signing bonues money. Could this be the Dodgers rotation next season?
- Glasnow
- Yamamoto
- Sasaki
- Kershaw
- Ohtani
- Buehler
Aces all!
The Giants are Coming!
The San Francisco Giants are coming back and will again be a force for the Dodgers to recken with. It would happen overnight, but it will happen. Buster Posey is part of the equation and so is Daniel Lurie, the new Mayor San Francisco. During his first speech as mayor-elect, Lurie committed to “clean and safe streets for all, tackling our drug and behavioral drug crisis, shaking up the corrupt and ineffective bureaucracy, building enough housing, so our neighbors can afford to live here, supporting our small businesses and breathing life back into downtown.”
My wife isfrom the City by the Bay and for the past severl years, she has said, “They ruined my city.” Frankly, it was/is a shithole. Legendary former Giants catcher Buster Posey, who is now a part-owner of the team as well as President of Baseball Operations, spoke candidly in a recent interview with Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic about what he views as a “free-agent slump.” Posey hinted that perceptions of the Bay Area were making it harder for the Giants to win over free agents.
“Something I think is noteworthy, something that unfortunately keeps popping up from players and even the players’ wives is there’s a bit of an uneasiness with the city itself, as far as the state of the city, with crime, with drugs,” Posey said in the interview with The Athletic. I was told by many on another site that I was wrong and SF was a wonderful city, but Poset agreed with me and went on to say:
“Whether that’s all completely fair or not, perception is reality. It’s a frustrating cycle, I think, and not just with baseball. Baseball is secondary to life and the important things in life. But as far as a free-agent pursuit goes, I have seen that it does affect things.”
–– Buster Posey
Posey is a straight shooter and that honesty along with cleaning up San Francisco will help them attract more free agents. The Giants have not had much success with signing key free agents recently. Some of it is the chilly weather at times and you can’t change that (except with a dome), but you can transform it to a beautiful town from the cesspool it has become. New Mayor elect, Daniel Lurie said this:
“I entered this race not as a politician, but as a dad who couldn’t explain to my kids what they were seeing in my streets. In our house, when you love something as much as San Francisco, you fight for it. We knew it wouldn’t be easy. Our biggest opposition was cynicism itself. A gnawing sense that maybe it has to be this way. But I can tell you after 250 meet-and-greets, 150 merchant walks, and our team knocking over 140,000 doors and thousands of open and honest conversations in every neighborhood across seven square miles, hope is alive and well in San Francisco.
— Daniel Lurie
Our mandate is to show how government must deliver on its promises: clean and safe streets for all, tackling our drug and behavioral health crisis, shaking up the corrupt and ineffective bureaucracy, building enough housing so our neighbors can afford to live here, supporting our small businesses and breathing life back into downtown.”
Get Ready! The Dodgers – Giants Rivalry is about ready to be restored. Now Dodger fans can hate both the Giants and the Padres. I used to love to go to San Francisco and as my wife’s hometown, we used to visit frequently. We have not done that as much lately and I look forward to going back more often and a renewed Dodger-Giant rivalry.
My wife is excited to get her city back.
Report: Giants expected to reduce payroll for 2025 season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
“After a lackluster 2024 MLB season where the Giants finished fourth in the NL West, San Francisco reportedly will take a different approach next year when it comes to the team’s coffers.
Under new president of baseball operations Buster Posey, the Giants are expected to be more frugal with their spending this offseason, The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly reported in a piece published Friday, citing a league source familiar with the team’s plans”.
If the Giants field basically the same team in 2025, they will finish 4th in the Western Division. Nothing to worry about here.Also they will be without Snell.
They are essentially rebuilding. It will take 2-4 years but I think they are doing it right.
The Giants will never outspend the mighty Dodgers or outthink the brainpower of the Dodgers as long as Drew is at the helm and Walters handles the cash register. We are lucky that our ownership is about winning and not only about making a profit.
Being from that world the mayor can play a major role. The problem he will face is the finance. In order to get a handle on situations that are a bit out of control will mean more law enforcement, up grade the court system, infrastructure, etc,. This all comes with a cost. Will the taxpayers of SF be willing to cough up the money.
Don’t know how long terms are for the mayor of SF or if they have term limits. If he hopes to achieve his goal he has to hit it hard and early. The people must see results before his next election. If they have two year terms his task will be difficult.
Mark, you definitely out kicked your coverage on the wife thing. You guys look happy and there’s nothing more important than happiness.
Like the optimism about Sasaki. When we signed Ohtani, I wanted two championships during his reign. If we get Sasaki, double that.
This year’s international free agent signing period ends on Dec 15th and the 2025 window opens on January 15th.
Although Sasaki’s team has let it be known they are going to post him, they haven’t indicated during which of the two periods that will happen.
If they wait until January, more teams will have more money to spend, although Sasaki will still be giving up a huge amount of signing money by not waiting a couple of years.
Obviously, we’d be better off if it happens during the current period since we have the most money left (having saved it for just this purpose).
Sasaki’s agent is the Wasserman Group who also represent Yamamoto…………………………..but they also represent Darvish, with whom Sasaki is very close. We shouldn’t count our chickens (or starting pitchers) before they hatch.
New SF Mayor Lurie is an heir to the Levi Strauss fortune.
What does the mayor have to do with anything?
Just Everything!
Drew will come thru on Sasaki. Bet it!
If Sasaki’s is as good as advertised he will get his money. There is no better place to get endorsements than LA. His contract money will come when it comes if he performs. What better place for a secondary income than LA?
Roki will be a Dodger!
What better place for a secondary income than LA?
New York? Seattle? San Fran? Texas?
New York maybe. Texas, SF, Seattle for endorsements, you need professional help.
Troll
Sign Sasaki and trade for Crochet.
The Giants’ desire to reduce payroll means they’ll be bargain hunters this winter. That’s quite a change after much speculation that they’d go after Soto, Adames and Snell or other top SPs. (A recent poll of mlb.com scribes actually had SF ahead of LA as the likely destination for Adames.)
So maybe the Giants sign Ha-Seong Kim to play SS, making it just a bit easier for the Dodgers to ink Adames.
Securing Adames could ease the pain if Teoscar opts for bigger $$$ from his various suitors. If the Dodgers offer Teo about $75 million over three years, but the Red Sox offer $110 over five, it would be hard to say no to $35m guaranteed.
I hope Teo comes back, but Adames is the better fit because of his position and relative youth. With Teo out and Adames in, the OF mix could include Edman, Pages, Outman, Rushing and Taylor. (More questions than answers: Is Rushing ready? Can Outman bounce back? Will Pages improve or regress?)
As for Sasaki, I’m feeling both greedy and ambivalent…
Obviously talented. But should the Dodgers have such an advantage with top Japanese talent?
Last winter year, I was feeling ambivalent about Yamamoto, especially after that $300milion-plus contract. It felt garish. Why not sign the veteran Imanaga for more than $200 million less? And Imanaga proved to be the better pitcher for most of the season.
The latest news suggests that Shohei won’t pitch for a while to allow for the healing in his non-pitching shoulder.
No problema. Our Dodgers are so good and so deep they have the luxury of slow-playing veterans to save them for the stretch run and playoffs. (Let’s have Freddie start taking some days off too.)
Right now my crystal ball has the Dodgers opening the season in Japan with Yamamoto starting game one and Sasaki in game two, with Shohei batting lead-off.
Japan will go bonkers…and more Japanese kids will want to grow up to be Dodgers!
I am sure it willl take the new mayor a couple of years to clean up and clean out San Francisco, and the Giants will have to take baby steps until them. I agree that Kim would be a perfect fit in SF. The Giants will likely play in the margins for a couple of years, building up the farm and hoarding international money. I am sure theywill be looking at players like Tyler O’Neill, Gleyber Torres, Christain Walker, and maybe even Anthony Santander.
Being from that world the mayor can play a major role. The problem he will face is the finance. In order to get a handle on situations that are a bit out of control will mean more law enforcement, up grade the court system, infrastructure, etc,. This all comes with a cost. Will the taxpayers of SF be willing to cough up the money.
Don’t know how long terms are for the mayor of SF or if they have term limits. If he hopes to achieve his goal he has to hit it hard and early. The people must see results before his next election. If they have two year terms his task will be difficult.
Sign Sasaki, sign Buehler, bring back Blake Treinen and sign Kim and Kiké. Trade Lux and or Taylor. Kim comes back healthy by mid season and makes the middle infield rock solid and deep.
Still need Teo or a replacement RH bat.
In the AFL All-Star Game, Zyhir Hope made the start in right field, where he stood out on defense, snagging a fly ball from Alejandro Osuna at the wall for the second out of the fourth inning. Hope struck out in his first two at-bats, but worked a walk in the sixth inning before swiping second base and scoring on a sac fly.
Righty Eriq Swan threw two scoreless innings, including a 1-2-3 fourth, allowing one hit and one walk with one strikeout.
A few days ago, Jared Diamond wrote a really goodpiece in the Wall Street Journal about FreddieFreeman. Here it is in it’s entireity:
He Never Wanted to Join the Dodgers. Now He’s Their World Series Hero.
Freddie Freeman never wanted to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
He was perfectly happy at the Atlanta Braves, and intended to spend his entire career with the organization that drafted him and developed him into one of the best players of his generation.
Then the cruel business of baseball intervened. Contract talks unexpectedly stalled when Freeman reached free agency following the 2021 season, the winter after he led his beloved Braves to a championship. So as a backup plan—in a move that stunned the entire industry—Freeman settled for the Dodgers.
None of that matters much now. Freeman this week delivered his signature moment with Los Angeles. Then another. Then another. And one more after that, in an October performance that ranks among the greatest in World Series history. On Wednesday, he did more than just win another title and add an MVP trophy to his mantel—he cemented himself as an all-time legend for the team he never meant to join.
Freeman, 35, finished with four home runs, tying Lou Gehrig in 1928 for the most in any Fall Classic that lasted fewer than six games. That includes the first walk-off grand slam ever hit in the World Series, a jaw-dropping blast that might not have knocked the New York Yankees out, but certainly left them battered.
Meanwhile, his 12 RBIs matched the record previously set by Bobby Richardson in 1960. Except Richardson needed seven games to drive in that many runs. Freeman did it in just five.
“To come through in those situations,” Freeman said, “that’s what you dream about as a kid, doing that in the World Series.”
To this day, exactly what derailed Freeman’s negotiations with the Braves remains unclear, especially considering his publicly stated desire to remain in Atlanta, his home for 12 seasons. The Braves made Freeman multiple competitive offers. But for some reason, fearful that a deal would never materialize, the Braves ultimately traded for another first baseman—a decision that blindsided Freeman and left him heartbroken.
Though the Dodgers entered that offseason with significant interest in acquiring Freeman, like everyone else they assumed the Braves would bring him back. Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said he thought “the odds of it happening were incredibly low,” so he put the idea to one side and explored other options.
Only after the Braves landed Matt Olson did the Dodgers believe they could lure Freeman to Los Angeles. Days later, Freeman signed a six-year contract with the Dodgers worth $162 million.
“When the opportunity presented itself, we jumped on it,” Dodgers president Stan Kasten said. “I will say no one could have adapted to us any quicker than Freddie did. You can see the love he has for everyone here.”
At the plate, Freeman immediately looked at home in his new surroundings, immediately justifying why the Dodgers invested so much money in him. But for a while, at least, he couldn’t stop his love for the Braves from bleeding through.
Freeman repeatedly burst into tears during his first trip to Atlanta as a visiting player in June 2022—at a news conference, when receiving his World Series ring, and during an extended ovation before his first at-bat. The outpouring of emotion for the Braves, while wearing a Dodgers uniform no less, suggested that he still hadn’t fully processed what had happened.
That reaction didn’t go down terribly well in the Dodgers clubhouse, either. “I hope we’re not second fiddle,” Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw said afterward. “It’s a pretty special team over here, too. I think whenever he gets comfortable over here, he’ll really enjoy it.”
Now in his third season with the Dodgers, Freeman appears to belong.
Even so, the idea that Freeman would emerge as the Dodgers’ World Series hero in 2024 appeared all but impossible just a few weeks ago. He suffered a severely sprained right ankle near the end of the regular season, leaving him hobbled throughout the playoffs.
During the first two rounds, Freeman could barely walk, each step visibly sending shock waves of pain through his body. He would arrive at the ballpark seven hours early to undergo treatment in the trainer’s room. In the National League Championship Series against the New York Mets, he hit just .167, raising questions about whether he should be on the field at all.
The Yankees wish he had sat out. By the time the World Series began, Freeman’s gait had notably improved. He even legged out a triple in Game 1—before delivering the grand slam that set the tone for the entire series.
And Freeman didn’t stop there. He homered again in Game 2…and in Game 3…and in Game 4. On Wednesday, he picked up a key two-run single. In a Dodgers lineup that also featured Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts, nobody tortured the Yankees more than Freeman.
“We weren’t sure what we were going to see,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “From the jump obviously, he was Freddie Freeman at the plate. He hurt us.”
Freeman still has three seasons left on his contract with the Dodgers. At this point, he seems to be ensconced, regardless of any bitterness he still harbors about how his tenure with the Braves ended. And this season made it abundantly clear that Dodgers fans view him as one of their own.
Freeman had to step away from the team for 10 days this summer after his 3-year-old son contracted Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare neurological condition. When he returned to Dodger Stadium, he was greeted with a longstanding ovation, during which Freeman fought back tears.
This week, Freeman repaid that love with a World Series for the ages.
“I don’t think that script would’ve been accepted,” Friedman said. “I think it’d have been, like, ‘Ehhh, it’s too unreasonable.’”
I still see Adames as SS at 6 years/$160M+
I see Teoscar at 3 years/$80M
Crochet is a possibility with the Sox picking Rushing or DePaula ,(their choice), Lux, Outman, Freeland, and Bobby Miller.
If Sasaki is posted that’s all they need!
1. Ohtani DH
2. Betts 2B
3. Freeman 1B
4. Teoscar RF
5. Muncy 3B
6. Smith C
7. Adames SS
8. Pages LF
9. Edman CF
Bench: Rojas, Kike, CT3, Barnes
You forgot Taylor who has 15 large left on a contract.
I just saw CT3.
I see what you’re doing. And I applaud your effort.
Now do you really think AF will give Adames 6 years? His defense was atrocious this year and we have plenty of big boppers.
Rushing or DePaula, Lux, Outman, Freeland and Miller for Skubal is a good call, Mark. Oh wait…we want Crochet.
My bad. I don’t think AF wants him and neither do I. Spokane Bob had the best take yet. Remember, believe zero of what you read and half of what you see. .In AF I trust!
Book em
According to FanGraphs, only Dansby Swanson provided more defensive value for his team at shortstop across the 2022 and 2023 seasons, combined.
The world of defensive metrics is a curious one, filled with numbers that don’t always tell the same story. Each stat—from different sabermetric sources—views Willy Adames’s defense through its own unique lens. While baseball has wholeheartedly embraced statistical evaluation, defense metrics still lag behind their hitting, pitching, and baserunning counterparts in reliability and clarity. However, there’s a compelling case for DRS (Defensive Runs Saved) as the most insightful measure, especially for assessing infielders.
DRS draws heavily on video scouting, leveraging a structured approach that values “Good Fielding Plays” and penalizes “Defensive Misplays,” each determined by a set of criteria. This metric, though not flawless, injects a dose of the human element to capture some of the subtleties inherent in infield defense. Video scouts can assess the difficulty and finesse involved in plays like fielding a bad hop, making an accurate throw with momentum going the opposite way, or deftly barehanding a slow roller. They can also spot lapses in fundamentals—whether it’s a mistimed approach, a bobbled ball, or a missed opportunity to cover for a double play.
Each metric paints a slightly different portrait of Adames’s defensive performance, yet they converge on one conclusion: he’s regressed. Last season, his numbers reflected this dip, showing 8 DRS, 5.9 UZR, 16.7 DRP, and an FRV of 12.
It’s possible that a half dozen bad plays skewed his numbers in 2024. He’s still 29 and I think 2024 was an anomoly. I don’t think he went from being second best in 22 and 23 to one of the worst in 24!
I guess you’re willing to dramatically overpay for Crochet.
The Trade Simulator says that the players you’re sending to the Sox have double his value.
When was the last time the trade simulator was right?
1957
Well, there’s that… 😉
It’s hard to imagine that any front office takes the “trade simulator” seriously, given all the human factors in play in making a deal.
Plus, the goal is not to “win” trades, but to create win-win deals. Even if Ferris and Hope never reach the majors, that feels like win, because Busch was blocked on the Dodgers.
I wonder how the Sasaki situation is affecting the market in general. If the Dodgers land him, would they still pursue other top-tier FA pitchers like Burnes, Snell and Fried? Would it decrease interest in a deal for Crochet or Luzardo? Maybe not, since Sasaki should be relatively cheap at the start.
So getting Sasaki might make AF more aggressive in securing the services of Teo and Adames…
That said, I hope that the Sasaki market has zero effect in efforts to work out deals with Buehler, Treinen and Kike, partly just for the sake of continuity and esprit de corps. All three stepped up big in October. They all show that “compete” that Roberts loves.
I hope Teo returns… but it would not surprise me if he accepts a fatter contract from another team and gets wistful when he gets a standing O when he visits Dodger Stadium. If the brass feels they must decide between Teo and Adames, I’d go with SS, who is three years younger and could shift to 3B down the road…
Somebody somewhere mentioned Tyler O’Neil as an option if Teo doesn’t return. Talented guy, but I just read he’s represented by Boras.
Seems plausible to me….
But I think it would be an overpay for Crochet alone.
Perhaps replace Rushing with Cartaya…because I just really want to see what Rushing can do at the next level.
Perhaps he could be in quasi-platoon with Pages, with Teo shuttling between LF and RF as he did for much of last season.
If Rushing succeeds in ’25, he could become Smith’s backup in ’26 and also get ABs off the bench or subbing at 1B. …
Oh, while Dodgers are heavily favored to win Sasaki, it’s been reported that Sasaki and Darvish hit if off during the WBC. Sasaki to the Padres would spice things up…
like it all Mark, except the bench. i don’t see rojas having another stellar season at the plate. Defensively? yeah, he is fine. Taylor? his swing is long and most of the time, ugly as sin! Barnes? another year older and he didn’t get off the pine in the world series. Kike? put him in standby till the playoffs!! it’s early to speculate, but can’t you see AF. finding a way to dump taylor? ….. Personally, i would sign. Fried rather than give up a kings ransom for Crochet. Glasnow, Yamamoto,,Fried,Sasaki,Buehler, and Clayton later on. Dustin May and Bobby Miller could both be dealt. Maybe involving a deal for Williams from Milwaukee. Trienan? i hope he comes back…….. Been a great weekend so far! my brother in law turned 80 yesterday. a retired teacher, band director, athletic director, and so called retired minister! well as i type this, he’s probably on his way to a church in Tazewell county to give a sermon. Big Orioles fan! Boy did i rub it in at his party last night!! Great guy and friend! I have a great family, been blessed! Good Sunday everyone!
Taylor had a good few months at end when he was healthy. Agree about Rojas. I wouldn’t count on him being able to repeat his offensive numbers from last year or be able to stay healthy. Barnes had one of his ‘better ‘ year at the plate.
Kike–I think he will be gone
Dodgerdad, Congrats!
thanks mark! this site starts my day every day. it’s an uplifting read every day! everyone has an opinion and it’s important that we all respect that opinion. Hey! i’m the best GM in my town! … totally agree with signing Adames and letting Soto go somewhere else! There are just some players that you don’t want to be a dodger! machado, tatis, soto, BREGMAN, altuve, Correa, Springer. never wanted Bonds, ASSROD, McGwire, Palmero, why isn’t every player like Clayton? like mookie? like teo? like freddie? like Edman? like ohtani? you get the picture! good players,great people! that’s the dodger way!
I think Soto is a good guy, but was guilty by association with Tatis and Machado. The Dodgers need a power RH bat more than Soto… Sign Teo!
soto is destined to be a DH within 5 years. not a very good outfielder. average at best! excellent hitter but i hope they pass on him . sign Teo, Fried,Sasaki, Adames, and restock the bullpen!
Bullpen: LHP – Vesia, Banda
RHP – Treinen, Phillips, Kopech, Graterol, Casparius, May
No need to re-stock. Just bring back Treinen.
Of course, Friedman will continue his makeover projects and sign some rejects (which is smart), but the Dodgers will not sign a big bullpen arm.
you’re right. but when i say “restock “ i mean just add. we all know he won’t spend big money on the bullpen, he’ll just get the best arm at budget value. they lose hudson. i’m not sure honeywell returns. Casparius? nice arm, but what’s his role? With Gonsolin coming back, Dustin May coming back, Sheehan coming later, where’s everyone going? I believe May goes into the bullpen or gets traded. Gonsolin and Miller could compete for a starting job depending on ohtani’s health, Walker Buehler being signed or not, Sasski being signed, or maybe even Fried. I e wonder how much Brasier has left in the tank? i can see AF trying to get another lefty for the pen. we have it bad! just 2 weeks from a world series championship, and we’re already for spring training! … Happy veterans day to all that served and sacrificed, and those still serving! Thank you all for protecting us and our freedom to do the things we love! We all need to step back, take a deep breath and start respecting each other. Civility shouldn’t be obsolete. Thanks again to the men and women who have or still wear those uniforms!