And so, they’ll have to pivot in another direction.
All day Monday, we were hearing reports that several teams were not going to be the MLB landing destination for Japanese star Roki Sasaki — first Giants, then Yankees, then Mets, then Rangers.
And now, the Cubs are out:
Source says Cubs have been informed they are out on Roki Sasaki
— Sahadev Sharma (@sahadevsharma) January 13, 2025
The finalists for Japanese star right-hander Roki Sasaki are the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays, sources tell ESPN. Sasaki will decide on his team by the closing of his posting window Jan. 23.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 13, 2025
At this point I don’t think we need to have any recriminations about why Sasaki is choosing one of those teams and not the Cubs. The reason(s) could be just about anything, and not having anything to do with the Cubs, Chicago and/or Cubs management.
Personally, I think he’d have loved it with the Cubs and in Chicago. But he is choosing a different direction. Honestly, the fact that he’s visited Toronto and that signing with the Blue Jays would be a very different direction kind of fits in with the way Sasaki has entered this process. He might just pick them.
In the meantime, the Cubs will also have to go in a different direction. This decision should get the pitching free-agent market going, I’d think. I will have more to say in an article Tuesday morning at 9 a.m. CT.
In the meantime, have at it.