The baseball offseason for 2024-25 has kicked off, and rumors are swirling about trades and free agents.
Roki Sasaki, a young pitcher from Japan, is attracting attention as he plans to join Major League Baseball. Since he’s only 23 and doesn’t have enough playing time in Japan’s top league, he falls under MLB’s international amateur free agent rules. This means he’ll earn less than he might otherwise on an open market.
There are whispers that the Dodgers might be his preferred team, maybe even having a secret agreement already. However, Sasaki’s agent, Joel Wolfe, firmly denied this claim: “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, in reality, this is just poor sportsmanship.”
Speculations Surrounding Sasaki
MLB’s current international signing period is almost over. The Dodgers have the most money left to spend but won’t have an advantage when the new signing period starts on January 15 next year. Fans might think it’s all just smoke and mirrors until then.
Blake Snell Attracts Interest
Blake Snell had a tough offseason last year but bounced back strong in 2024 with the Giants. He opted out of his contract after performing well despite some early hiccups due to missing spring training.
Ken Rosenthal reports that teams are eager to sign Snell now. He’s already talked with the Red Sox and Dodgers and might soon chat with the Orioles and Blue Jays too.
Snell will turn 32 in December after finishing the season with impressive stats: a 3.12 ERA overall and an even better 1.23 ERA after returning from injury mid-year.
What do you think about these player moves? Are they exciting or just another day in baseball?
