Cleveland Sports Forum

It's international signing day! Follow along here

For talented amateur ballplayers from across the globe, there is no day on the calendar quite like Jan. 15. Signaling the opening of the international signing period, it’s the day in which years of hard work and perseverance make dreams come true.

Most often, it’s the first step on a journey toward the big leagues. The majority of players signing deals as the period opens are still U.S. high school-aged, indicative of the long developmental path they still have to travel.

But things are different in 2025. Roki Sasaki, the No. 1 international prospect, is a unicorn in the sense that, at 23, he’ll immediately be Major League-ready at the time of his signing, something not in play even for the most advanced 16- and 17-year-olds who traditionally headline these classes. Sasaki figures to factor prominently atop MLB Pipeline's Top 100 overall prospects list as soon as he puts pen to paper.

With the timing of Sasaki’s negotiation window (which closes Jan. 23) carrying into the first few days of the 2025 period, three clubs reportedly are still angling to land the potential ace with a triple-digit fastball. Sasaki can only sign for as much as an organization has available in international pool money, figures you’ll find for each club in this story.

Below is a look at which players from MLB.com's Top 50 International Prospects list have agreed to terms with clubs, and for how much.

Roki Sasaki, RHP, Japan
Josuar De Jesus Gonzalez, SS, D.R.: Giants ($2,997,500) More »
Elian Peña, SS, D.R.: Mets ($5,000,000) More »
Cris Rodriguez, OF, D.R.: Tigers ($3,197,500) More »
Andrew Salas, SS/OF, USA/Ven.: Marlins ($3,700,000) More »
Yorger Bautista, OF, Ven.: Mariners More »
Kevin Alvarez, OF, Cuba: Astros More »
Dorian Soto, SS, D.R.
Maykel Coret, OF, D.R.: Rays ($1,600,000) More »
Juan Cabada, SS , D.R.
Manny Cedeno, SS, D.R.
Ayden Johnson, SS, Bah.
Wilfri De La Cruz, SS/3B, D.R.
Brayan Cortesia, SS, Ven.: Nationals ($1,920,000) More »
Diego Tornes, OF, Cuba
Darwin Ozuna, OF, D.R.
Gabriel Davalillo, C, Ven.: Angels ($2,000,000)
Liberts Aponte, SS, Ven.: Reds More »
Kendry Martinez, SS, D.R.: Mariners More »
Raymer Medina, SS, D.R.: Rays ($1,100,000) More »
Jhoan De La Cruz, SS, D.R.
Cristopher Polanco, SS, D.R.
Johan De Los Santos, SS, D.R.: Pirates ($2,250,000) More »
Santiago Leon, SS, Ven.: Twins ($1,697,500)
Djean Macares, OF, Aruba: Giants More »
Carlos Taveras, OF, D.R.
Elian De La Cruz, OF, D.R.: D-backs ($1,100,000) More »
Royelny Strop, OF, D.R.: Cardinals More »
Elorky Rodriguez, OF, D.R.: Rangers ($1,100,000) More »
Warel Solano, SS, D.R.: Rays ($1,050,000) More »
Moises Marchan, C, Ven.
Harold Rivas, OF, Ven.
Alejandro Cruz, 3B, Cuba: White Sox More »
Larry Suero, 2B/3B, D.R.
Deivid Coronil, SS, Ven.
Kenny Fenelon, OF, D.R.
Kenly Hunter, OF, Nicaragua: Cardinals ($700,000) More »
Warren Calcano, SS, D.R.
Carlos Alvarez, LHP, D.R.
Kevin DeFrank, RHP, D.R.: Marlins ($560,000) More »
Hiverson Lopez, C, Ven.
Braylin Antunez, OF, Ven.
Haritzon Castillo, SS, Ven.: Twins ($947,500)
Nieves Izaguirre, SS, Ven.
Cristopher Acosta, SS, D.R.: Brewers (1,100,000)
Sadbiel Del Zine, RHP, Ven.
José Peña, SS, D.R.: Orioles More »
Heins Brito, SS, D.R.: Guardians ($825,000)
Ramcell Medina, SS, D.R.
Teilon Serrano, OF, D.R.: Twins ($847,500)

Breakdown

We’ve always considered baseball a global game, but that fact has become more prominent the past few years: The world’s most remote country, Bhutan? They love baseball! The first pro ballplayer born in Siberia was drafted last summer, the same year an Australian, Travis Bazzana, was drafted No. 1 overall for the first time. What’s San Marino? The country where this Pirates prospect hails from.

With that in mind, here’s a look at how the 2025 class shakes out, globally and positionally:

Twenty-nine of the players on the 2025 Top 50 International Prospects list are from the Dominican Republic. There are 13 from Venezuela, three from Cuba, one from The Bahamas, one from Aruba, one from Japan, one from Nicaragua and one from the United States (who moved to Venezuela as a youngster). Position-wise, there are 26 infielders, 16 outfielders, one infielder/outfielder, four pitchers and three catchers.

Who is eligible?

There are guidelines for signing international prospects. A player is eligible to sign with a Major League organization between Jan. 15 and Dec. 15. He must turn 16 before he signs and be 17 before Sept. 1 the following year. In practical terms, that means players born between Sept. 1, 2007, and Aug. 31, 2008, will be eligible to sign in the upcoming signing period. Players have to be registered with Major League Baseball in advance in order to be eligible.

The international bonus pool breakdown is as follows:

$7,555,500
ATH, CIN, DET, MIA, MIL, MIN, SEA, TB

$6,908,600
ARI, BAL, CLE, COL, KC, PIT

$6,261,600
ATL, BOS, CHC, CWS, LAA, NYM, NYY, PHI, SD, TEX, TOR, WSH

$5,646,200
HOU, STL

$5,146,200
LAD, SF

How do the mechanics of the signing period work?

Each organization enters the signing period with bonus pool money to sign international amateur free agents. The size of that pool is determined by a number of factors, including market size and revenue, as well the signing of Major League free agents who declined a qualifying offer. Trades, in which international bonus money can be dealt in increments of $250,000, also affect bonus pool sizes. But a team can not spend more than its allotment, no matter what -- there is no option to exceed the limit and pay a tax, for example.

While teams are allowed to trade away as much of their pool as they so choose, they can acquire only 60 percent of their original pool. (For the clubs listed in the top tier above, that would be an additional $4,533,300. In the case of Sasaki, both the Padres and Blue Jays could add $3,756,960, feasibly giving them just over $10 million to offer the right-hander, while the Dodgers could add just over $3 million and bring their offer north of $8.2 million.)

However, signing players for a bonus of $10,000 or less does not count against a bonus pool. It's possible, therefore, that a team could spend its entire bonus pool on one player and still sign many other players in relatively small deals.

While the majority of players who sign in the immediate aftermath of the period opening are 16 or 17 years old, any international free agent under the age of 25 is permitted to sign up until Dec. 15, 2025.

Here's a look at other prospects who signed for $300,000 or more:

Angels
Yilver De Paula, SS, Dominican Republic -- $900,000

Athletics
Shotaro Morii, SS, Japan -- $1,510,500 More »
Breyson Guedez, OF, Venezuela -- $1,500,000

Brewers
Isais Chavez, C, Venezuela -- $480,000
Eryks Rivero, OF, Venezuela -- $300,000

Cardinals
Juan Rujano, INF, Panama -- $750,000
Miguel Hernandez, SS, Venezuela -- $500,000
Yeferson Portolatin, SS, Dominican Republic -- $450,000
Daniel Gomez, RHP, Venezuela -- $350,000
Yostin Pena, OF, Dominican Republic -- $300,000

D-backs
Alam Bruno, SS, Dominican Republic -- $950,000
Ronny Suarez, CF, Venezuela -- $550,000
Juan Brima, SS, Dominican Republic -- $500,000
Mayki De La Rosa, CF, Dominican Republic -- $500,000
Feliz Genao, 3B, Dominican Republic -- $300,000
Eybert Sanchez, SS, Venezuela -- $300,000
Victor Santana, 3B, Dominican Republic -- $300,000

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18-year-old two-way Japanese slugger signs record-setting deal with A's

3:17 PM CST

The Athletics made waves to kick off the 2025 international signing period, inking 18-year-old two-way player Shotaro Morii to a $1,510,500 million deal, the largest bonus ever for a Japanese amateur outside of Nippon Professional Baseball, according to Yakyu Cosmopolitan.

A left-handed hitter with 45 high school home runs to his credit, Morii has also been clocked as high as 95 mph on the hill. That impact potential on both sides of the diamond made Morii a potential top 10 pick in the NPB Draft.

“It’s a historic day for our organization,” said A’s assistant general manager Dan Feinstein. “Shotaro is our first and one of the very few Japanese high school players to sign directly with a Major League team. … We are anxious and excited to watch Shotaro both pitch and hit as he begins his ascent through our Minor League system beginning this spring.”

Scouts see Morii’s long-term future in the batter’s box, but he’ll play his entire first pro season at 18, giving him a long leash of development as he acclimates to the rigors of pro ball. Scouted heavily by A’s Pacific Rim coordinator Adam Hislop and Japan area scout Toshiyuki Tomizuka, Morii is someone the A’s believe can succeed as a two-way player. He will join the organization in Arizona for Minor League Spring Training and will likely begin his professional career in the Arizona Complex League.

“We knew Shotaro’s desire all along was to both pitch and hit,” Feinstein said. “The fact that we see him as a two-way prospect was definitely a selling point in our favor. We’re talking internally with our pitching coaches and strength coaches and athletic trainers to put a plan in place that both protects his arm but also gets him plenty of reps at both positions. Exactly what that will look like is TBD right now.”

At the plate, Morii features a smooth swing with tremendous balance. His high-octane throwing arm plays well at shortstop but could also help ease an eventual transition to third base as his 6-foot-1 frame fills out.

Morii becomes the latest teen Japanese standout to carve a unique path. Rintaro Sasaki, the nation’s all-time high school home run leader, is attending Stanford University and will first be Draft eligible in 2026. The slugging first baseman already enjoyed stints in the Draft League and Appalachian League this past summer, where he showcased his power exploits.

Beyond the physical traits, the A’s quickly became enamored with Morii’s drive and passion for the game. He has a strong desire to become one of the next great players to come out of Japan, and he aims to reach the big leagues within the next three years.

As for the type of players he looks up to and wants to be like, Morii, who has spent the past year learning English through an online class, said he patterns himself after Jacob deGrom on the mound and Elly De La Cruz as a hitter and shortstop.

“Elly De La Cruz of the Cincinnati Reds is my favorite player,” Morii said. “He runs very fast, he has power and I love him because of his personality.”

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Free Agent Faceoff: Jose Quintana vs Andrew Heaney

By Nick Deeds | January 15, 2025 at 3:30pm CDT

Overlooked in this free agent class, however, is a pair of solid mid-rotation lefties. Veterans Andrew Heaney and Jose Quintana have garnered little if any buzz in the rumor mill to this point, but at this late stage in the offseason they stand out among the remaining crop of starters as some of the more reliable options still available. Ranked #25 and #31 on MLBTR’s annual Top 50 MLB Free Agents list, Heaney and Quintana figure to be among the best arms available for clubs looking to bolster their rotation that don’t have room in the budget for a player like Flaherty or Pivetta. Even Scherzer could land a higher annual salary.

Quintana and Heaney have a number of striking similarities. From 2019 to 2021, both players posted an ERA north of 5.00 in less than 300 innings of work as they struggled to stay healthy and effective. Both players then appeared to take a major step forward in 2022, however, and since then have proven to be a reliable mid-rotation option despite occasional injury issues persisting. In Heaney’s case, his 2021 breakout came as a member of the Dodgers. While he was limited to just 72 2/3 innings of work due to injuries that year, he was dominant when healthy enough to pitch with a 3.10 ERA (130 ERA+) and an incredible 35.5% strikeout rate.

That breakout led Heaney to sign a two-year deal with the Rangers in free agency and, though he hasn’t quite reached that level of elite production since then, he’s managed to stay healthy and provide solid results to Texas. In 307 1/3 innings for the Rangers over the past two years, the lefty has pitched to a roughly league average 4.22 ERA (98 ERA+) with a 4.34 FIP. His strikeout rate has dipped to just 23.2% during his time in Dallas, but even in spite of that, he’s shown positive signs for the future. That’s particularly true of the 2024 season, when he cut his walk rate from 9.4% to a career-best 5.9% while his barrel rate dipped from 10.2% down to just 8.3%. Those improvements in batted ball results and walk rate allowed Heaney to post a 3.95 SIERA last year, good for 32nd among starters with 160 innings of work last year and sandwiched between Seth Lugo and Sean Manaea on the leaderboard.

By contrast, Quintana continued to get above average results this year with a 3.75 ERA (105 ERA+) in 31 starts for the Mets but started to show troubling signs in terms of peripherals. Quintana struck out just 18.8% of opponents for the second year in a row in 2024, but saw his walk rate climb to 8.8% while his barrel rate crept up to 6.7%. All that left Quintana with a 4.57 SIERA that ranks just 53rd among qualified starters. Father Time is also on Heaney’s side, as he’s roughly two-and-a-half years younger than Quintana, who will celebrate his 36th birthday later this month. Of course, that aforementioned barrel rate is still better than Heaney’s figure from 2024 and his career-best 47.4% groundball rate suggests he may be able to continue limiting damage and outperforming his peripherals going forward.

It’s also worth noting that Quintana has the stronger overall track record than Heaney. Although he experienced a blip in productiveness from 2019 to 2021, he had seven above-average seasons under his belt prior to that and since then has posted an excellent 3.39 ERA (118 ERA+) with a 3.74 FIP in 411 2/3 innings of work. Though he’s struck out just 19.4% of opponents in that time, that ERA is tied for 22nd among qualified starters since the start of the 2022 campaign, on par with the likes of Dylan Cease and George Kirby. While it seems unlikely that Quintana would be able to replicate that elite production going forward without improving on his strikeout and walk numbers, it’s possible his grounder-heavy profile could work quite well in front of a strong defense.

If your club was looking to add a veteran southpaw to its rotation, which would you prefer? Would you value Heaney’s relative youth and stronger peripherals in his platform campaign? Or would you overlook Quintana’s age and concerning peripherals in favor of his more consistent track record and knack for keeping the ball on the ground?

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Baseball World Reacts to Roki Sasaki Choosing Dodgers as LA Builds Japan Superteam

Sam Garcia Follow on X01/17/2025

The Los Angeles Dodgers pulled off another blockbuster move by signing superstar free agent starting pitcher Roki Sasaki. The Japanese-born right-hander announced the news via his Instagram account.

The Dodgers were among three finalists in the Sasaki sweepstakes, alongside the San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays. Shortly before Sasaki’s announcement, the Padres were seemingly out of the running for the 23-year old as the franchise pivoted to two different international prospects.

Sasaki’s decision sparked varying reactions on social media.

San Diego’s offseason has been one of the least productive in MLB history, which is disappointing to Padres fans. Other than a handful of minor league contracts, the Padres have not acquired any new talent.

But, there was a brief moment when Padres fans thought Sasaki would sign with San Diego. Sasaki was spotted training at Petco Park while wearing Padres gear over the weekend.

San Diego fans were not the only people upset with Sasaki’s decision. Many MLB fans expressed their frustration with the Dodgers hogging all the big-name free agents.

In this offseason alone, Los Angeles has signed starting pitcher Blake Snell, utility man Hyeseong Kim, outfielder Michael Conforto, and now Sasaki. The Dodgers have also re-signed outfielder Teoscar Hernández and reliever Blake Treinen.

n spite of the negative reactions on social media, Dodgers fans are rejoicing in the fact that Los Angeles won the Sasaki sweepstakes.

With the addition of Sasaki, the Dodgers’ rotation features five potential aces.

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Dodgers aren't unstoppable ... even with Sasaki

8:37 PM CST

The Dodgers won a championship in spite of rotation questions last season. Now, they boast not only one of the best arsenals of starters in baseball today, but perhaps also one of the best rotations in MLB history with Sasaki, Blake Snell, and even a healthy Shohei Ohtani joining the fray.

Dodgers pitching rotation projection for 2025

Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Tyler Glasnow
Blake Snell
Shohei Ohtani
Roki Sasaki

The Dodgers have at least three and potentially five pitchers who could be a legitimate No. 1 starter elsewhere.

Returning from last season's rotation are Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow, who each missed extended time with injuries in 2024. Yamamoto returned from a shoulder issue in September and showed flashes of brilliance in the postseason, while Glasnow is recovered from an elbow sprain.

Sasaki has long-term ace potential, even if he won't take the mantle as the Dodgers' ace in 2025. Coming at a bargain because he's an amateur free agent, Sasaki wasn't a need for the Dodgers but was well worth the pursuit.

Ohtani, meanwhile, is the wild card. He's set to return to the mound in 2025, though he might not be ready for Opening Day. When he returns, will he look like the frontline starter he was with the Angels, or will two major elbow surgeries push him closer to league average?

Sasaki is not Yamamoto 2.0 despite coming to the majors with similar buzz. He might not be quite as polished as Yamamoto, which is understandable for a 23-year-old, but he is six inches taller and has a frame that could help keep him durable long-term.

So, Roki Sasaki has chosen the Dodgers.

You can admit it: You’re not surprised. Heck, you probably even rolled your eyes a little bit when you learned about it. Of course the Dodgers got Sasaki, you grumbled, they get everybody.

And I certainly can’t blame you for feeling that way. The defending World Series champs already had signed Blake Snell, Hyeseong Kim and Michael Conforto this offseason, while re-signing Teoscar Hernández and Blake Treinen. Oh, and they’re getting Shohei Ohtani back in the rotation. The Dodgers are on such a roll right now that it can seem like they can just pick and choose whatever player they want.

Because of this, it can also feel like, well, the Dodgers are somehow shoo-ins to win the World Series again -- as if it is now somehow inevitable. Heck, why play the season? But here’s the thing: While the Dodgers are certainly the favorites in 2025 -- especially after signing Sasaki -- they are not, in fact, likely to actually become the first repeat champs since the 1998-2000 Yankees. If you have the option of predicting the Dodgers or “the field,” the answer is obviously -- overwhelmingly obviously -- “the field.”

I’ll just come out and say it: Not only is the repeat far from assured, it’s highly unlikely to happen at all. So take heart, fans of other contenders. This is far from over, no matter how it might feel right now.

Here are five reasons why.

1. They still might not have enough pitching

Yes, the Dodgers just added another star starting pitcher to a rotation that already had plenty. Check out the current crop of options: Snell, Sasaki, Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May, Bobby Miller, Landon Knack. And that doesn’t even include Clayton Kershaw, who is still presumed to be re-signing at some point. That’s a lot of guys!

But here’s the thing: Is there anyone in that rotation you feel comfortable predicting is going to throw, say, 140 innings? They’re all speculative plays, to varying degrees. Snell has only thrown that many innings twice in his career (his two Cy Young Award seasons). Ohtani (who is of course coming off his second Tommy John surgery) has done it once. No one else, including Glasnow and Sasaki, has done it even once. Gonsolin and May are coming back from major injuries, and Miller’s regressed badly in his second season.

Some of these guys, maybe a lot of these guys, are injury risks, even more so than most pitchers. The Dodgers have invested a ton in their rotation, but it’s still not a reliable group, with no real record of durability from any of them. And let’s not forget what has derailed many a Dodgers postseason (including, almost, last year’s): Running out of pitching. The 2025 roster will have a ton of good pitchers, but nothing resembling an innings eater. Will enough of them be healthy and effective in October?

Some of these guys, maybe a lot of these guys, are injury risks, even more so than most pitchers. The Dodgers have invested a ton in their rotation, but it’s still not a reliable group, with no real record of durability from any of them. And let’s not forget what has derailed many a Dodgers postseason (including, almost, last year’s): Running out of pitching. The 2025 roster will have a ton of good pitchers, but nothing resembling an innings eater. Will enough of them be healthy and effective in October?

2. There are worthy challengers aplenty out there

The Dodgers’ NL West run over the last decade has been deeply impressive, but it should be said that they’ve only had the best record in baseball twice during this run: In 2017 and 2022. The rest of the league isn’t just sitting idly by, is what we’re saying here.

The Mets just added Juan Soto; the Phillies are stacked with veteran players who want a title desperately; the Braves were crushed by injuries and were still good in 2024, which was only a small step backward from 2023, when they were the best team in baseball. Also, the Diamondbacks signed Corbin Burnes, and the Padres, down the stretch last year, might have been the best team in the National League.

The Dodgers can add all the talent they want, but there are some formidable opponents in the NL, to say the least. L.A. will have to earn its way back to the World Series.

3. The lineup is getting kind of old

Kim felt like a pile-on move for the Dodgers, adding another utility guy on a team that has plenty. But it also was a dose of youth for a rather old group of position players. Every single Dodgers position player who is likely to be on the team’s Opening Day roster -- save for Kim (26) and Andy Pages (24) -- will be in his 30s by Memorial Day. Freddie Freeman is going to be 36 by the time this year ends. Max Muncy will turn 35, and Mookie Betts 33. Even Ohtani is already 30, and Will Smith will be soon.

And the Dodgers are asking a lot of these guys. As admirable and impressive as it is that Betts is willing and able to continue switching positions -- now back to shortstop again -- this is probably not the best way to keep your franchise MVP healthy and stable. As for Ohtani, he’s going to be pitching and hitting again this year. You’re probably going to have to give him a lot more than the three days off he got in 2024.

The Dodgers’ lineup looks stacked. But as the aforementioned 2024 Braves showed, a wave of injuries can change things in a hurry.

4. Even last year’s team was flawed

All right, fine, they won 98 games. They were plenty good. But that was their lowest win percentage since 2018, and, yeah, over the season’s last month, it sure looked like the Padres were the better team. Remember, the Dodgers ran out of pitching several times in 2024; they were just fortunate to have Walker Buehler rediscover himself late.

And even with that, the Padres almost beat them in the NLDS. (It took two solo homers off Yu Darvish and a brilliant Dodgers bullpen performance to stave them off.) The Dodgers won the World Series last year, which means when we look back at last season now, that title seems inevitable. But in the moment, it was far from it. Put it this way, if the Padres win that Game 5, one measly game, the offseason conversation about the Dodgers isn’t that they’re inevitable: It’s that they just can’t win the big one. Again.

5. It’s baseball

Seriously, let’s not forget what the baseball postseason is. It’s not a crapshoot, exactly, but it is far more random than we tend to pretend it is. Sure, the Dodgers and Yankees, the two best, star-laden teams, went to the World Series last year, but that’s not usually how it works. Heck, we’re only one year removed from Rangers-Diamondbacks!

Great teams lose in the postseason all the time. That’s why the postseason is so fun! There is no assurance, at all, that even if the Dodgers dominate the regular season (which is far from a certainty), they’re any more likely to win the World Series than they would be if they just slipped in by a thin margin.

You know who knows this better than anyone? The Dodgers! They’ve been the team in baseball for a decade now, and they only have two titles, one of which was during the Covid season. There’s a reason no team has repeated in 25 years. There are more playoff rounds, and thus more ways to trip up, than any previous dynastic team has had to deal with.

The Dodgers may have the best team on paper right now. They may even have the best team during the regular season. But that guarantees you nothing in October. I know other fanbases are frustrated with the Dodgers getting everybody. But in October, it might not mean a thing. Rest assured: By signing Roki Sasaki, the Dodgers have not guaranteed themselves anything. That is, after all, baseball.

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Could an investigation into Dodgers follow Roki Sasaki's announcement?

By David Hill | Last updated Jan 18, 2025 9:05 AM ET

he Roki Sasaki sweepstakes was over.

Sasaki announced via Instagram that he was signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers had been considered the favorites for his services since he was posted and had scouted Sasaki since 2019. His decision to join the star-studded Dodgers was hardly a surprise.

However, Sasaki's time with the Dodgers might be short-lived. Former MLB general manager Jim Bowden said on "Foul Territory" that "several front offices" believe the Dodgers and Sasaki had a deal in place before he was posted. Bowden further stated that he feels several teams will ask the league to investigate the signing.

Rumors of tampering and a secret deal between the Dodgers and Sasaki began before the Japanese phenom was posted. Sasaki's agent, Joel Wolfe, was emphatic in his denial of those accusations. However, Evan Drellich of The Athletic reported that commissioner Rob Manfred said the league would investigate the Dodgers if necessary.

Teams are understandably disappointed about missing out on Sasaki. He was the consensus top international prospect available, a potential frontline starter who is ready to step into a major league rotation immediately. Signing with the Dodgers, who already have a dominant roster, only made the sting of losing out that much worse.

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2025 Nippon Pacific League Team Expectations



Yuri Karasawa

January 16, 2025

The offseason is winding down, and spring training is right around the corner! Of course, every team wants to win the championship, but what are the realistic expectations for each of the six Pacific League teams entering the 2025 season? Let’s find out.






SoftBank Hawks
(Last Year: Lost Japan Series)

Led by a stacked offense and elite defense, the Hawks had one of the best records in NPB history last year at 91-49-3 but fell apart when it mattered most, ultimately choking a 2-0 lead against the DeNA BayStars. For a team with as many resources and financial flexibility as SoftBank, anything short of a championship will be regarded as a failure.

Expectation: Win Japan Series






Nippon-Ham Fighters
(Last Year: Lost Championship Series)

The Fighters made a big leap last year, climbing out of the cellar with a 75-60-8 record and a second-place finish to make the playoffs for the first time since 2018. The team has a deep rotation, led by Hiromi Itoh, and an exciting young core of position players, including Kotaro Kiyomiya and Chusei Mannami. They’re more than capable of a deep playoff run if everything comes together.

Expectation: Pennant Contender






Lotte Marines
(Last Year: Lost Wild Card Series)

Though the loss of generational phenom Roki Sasaki takes away from some of Lotte’s star power, the Marines still feature a balanced mix of solid pitchers (e.g. Atsuki Taneichi, Kazuya Ojima) and hitters (e.g. Hiromi Oka, Gregory Polanco) that should keep the team competitive all year.

Expectation: Playoff Contender






Rakuten Eagles
(Last Year: Missed Playoffs)

The Eagles were widely considered to be the weakest team in NPB before the 2024 season but greatly overperformed and stayed alive in the playoff race until the final weeks of the year. The team’s pitching is still a major shortcoming, but the lineup is formidable, and even added top prospect Rui Muneyama in the draft. Rakuten has a bright future and should remain relevant in the middle of the pack.

Expectation: Close to .500






Orix Buffaloes
(Last Year: Missed Playoffs)

After winning three consecutive league pennants, including a Japan Series title in 2022, Orix fell to 5th place with a very disappointing showing in 2024. Many were quick to say the team was overly dependent on MLB-bound superstars like Masataka Yoshida and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. But the Buffaloes still have one of the most electric pitching staffs in Japan, spearheaded by co-aces Hiroya Miyagi and Shunpeita Yamashita, so a bounce-back season seems plausible.

Expectation: Playoff Contender


[ Hiroya Miyagi and Shunpeita Yamashita
More MLB pitchers in the Nippon Pipeline
Hiroya Miyagi AGE 22, W 50, L 29, ERA 2.50, IP 677, K 601, W 153, WHIP 1.047
Shunpeita Yamashita AGE 21, W 19, L 22, ERA 2.96, IP 297, K 317, W 126, WHIP 1.256 ]






Seibu Lions
(Last Year: Missed Playoffs)

Seibu should improve upon its disastrous 2024 campaign, but the team is still far away from competing on paper. The roster has a few bright spots, mainly on the pitching side with future MLB stars like Tatsuya Imai and Kaima Taira, but the lackluster offense will continue to hold the Lions back.

Expectation: Last Place


[ Tatsuya Imai and Kaima Taira
More MLB pitchers in the Nippon Pipeline
Tatsuya Imai AGE 26, W 56, L 44, ERA 2.34, IP 173, K 187, W 70, WHIP 1.165
Kaima Taira AGE 24, W 22, L 17, ERA 2.03, IP 435, K 482, W 186, WHIP 1.126 ]

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Relief ace Tanner Scott, Dodgers agree to 4-year deal (source)

15 minutes ago


Fresh off adding prized Japanese right-hander Roki Sasaki, the Dodgers made an another move to massively upgrade their pitching staff, agreeing with left-handed reliever Tanner Scott on a four-year, $72 million contract, a source told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand on Sunday. The team has not confirmed the deal.

Scott has been one of baseball’s most effective and filthiest relievers over the past two seasons. During that time split between the Marlins and Padres, the 30-year-old southpaw has sat in the 90th percentile or better in whiff rate (34.7%) and hard-hit rate (27.5%).

Batters hit just .134 with a .179 slugging percentage off Scott’s high-90s four-seamer last season; those averages ranked second and first, respectively, among the pitchers who threw a minimum of 300 four-seamers last year. Scott’s heater and hard, high-80s slider each get a couple more inches of vertical drop compared to similar four-seamers and sliders, which contributes to his impressive 51.2% ground-ball rate since the beginning of 2023.

A sixth-round pick by the Orioles in the 2014 Draft, Scott produced a 4.73 ERA and a .738 opponents’ OPS in five seasons coming out of Baltimore’s bullpen. He was dealt to Miami just before the start of the 2022 season and eventually became the team’s closer. He saved 20 games that year, but also recorded a 4.31 ERA. Scott walked 46 batters in 62 2/3 innings and had a pedestrian 29.1% chase rate.

The following season, that chase rate soared to 35.3%, which was third best in MLB (min. 500 out-of-zone pitches). Creating a tremendous amount of swing-and-miss and soft contact, Scott ended 2023 with a 2.31 ERA and a .527 opponents’ OPS. He was lights-out leading up to last season’s Trade Deadline, registering a 1.18 ERA over 45 2/3 innings before heading to the Padres in a six-player swap.

Scott finished the year by recording a 1.75 ERA and a scant 25.7 hard-hit rate after the trade. He also produced an 8.0% walk rate, a big improvement for Scott, who arrived in San Diego with a career walk rate of 13.0%, well above the league average.

( Money Talks Buying the White House, Now attempting to buy Baseball In Particularly & Sports In General, Mega Donors & Owners Are Building A Bridge Too Far In My Humble Opinion. Where Will This Road End? Is This The End As We Once Knew It? Sorry! Just Another One Of My Rants By A Disgruntled Old Man )

Dodgers To Sign Tanner Scott

By Nick Deeds MLBTR| January 19, 2025 at 9:55am CDT

The Dodgers and left-hander Tanner Scott are in agreement on a four-year, $72MM deal according to a report from Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. According to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, Scott’s deal includes deferred money and a signing bonus, though specifics regarding those details are not yet known.

Scott was ranked as the #14 free agent in this winter’s class in MLBTR’s annual Top 50 MLB Free Agents list, where we predicted that the lefty would land a four-year, $56MM deal. His deal with L.A. comes in well above that mark, but that’s not necessarily surprising given reports earlier this month that indicated Scott could land a deal with an average annual value in the $20MM range. Ultimately, this deal doesn’t go quite that far, though his $18MM AAV is still quite the premium for his position. According to MLBTR’s Contract Tracker, Scott is tied for the third-highest AAV for a reliever in free agent history alongside Liam Hendriks’s deal with the White Sox with the pair trailing only Edwin Diaz and Josh Hader. Meanwhile, it’s the fifth-highest total guarantee a reliever has ever landed in free agency behind only Diaz, Hader, Aroldis Chapman, and Kenley Jansen.

MLB Conducted Investigation Prior To Roki Sasaki’s Posting

By Nick Deeds MLBTR | January 18, 2025 at 10:58pm CDT

Prior to the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball officially posting right-hander Roki Sasaki for major league clubs last month, Major League Baseball conducted an investigation before authorizing Sasaki’s posting. Jack Harris of The Los Angeles Times reported this afternoon that MLB’s investigation was in order to “ensure the protocol agreement had been followed” and involved interviews with multiple parties. A report from Fabian Ardaya, Dennis Lin, Patrick Mooney, Ken Rosenthal, and Will Sammon of The Athletic added more details this evening, noting that the primary focus of the league’s probe was not Sasaki himself but rather the Marines. Both reports emphasize that the league found nothing that substantiated rumors of an illegal arrangement taking place.

That the league’s investigation focused on the Marines may seem somewhat surprising, but The Athletic’s report notes that the current posting system limits the payout for the Marines to just 25% of Sasaki’s total bonus. That’s a weak financial incentive for a club parting ways with its star player and represents not only a step back from the large posting fees players like Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Seiya Suzuki have garnered for their clubs in recent years but also the $20MM posting fee the Nippon Ham Fighters were able to charge in exchange for Shohei Ohtani’s services when he signed with the Angels as an international amateur under the previous posting system back in December 2017. That relative lack of financial compensation for Sasaki’s services raised concerns among league officials for the potential for an under-the-table payment.

While MLB’s investigation found no wrongdoing by any party, speculation around the game of the possibility of an handshake agreement between Sasaki and the Dodgers grew significant enough to draw a strong denial from agent Joel Wolfe of Wasserman, who represents the right-handed phenom. As described in The Athletic’s report, clubs around the game felt uncertain about Sasaki’s goals throughout his posting process as teams like the Mariners and Red Sox failed to land a meeting with the 23-year-old while large market teams like the Cubs, Yankees, and Mets did in spite of suggestions that he may prefer to avoid the spotlight.

Regardless of that confusion, it became clear earlier this week that Sasaki had narrowed things down to three finalists: the Dodgers, Padres, and Blue Jays, each of whom then visited with Sasaki in their respective cities and began to prepare their offers. According to The Athletic’s report, San Diego told Sasaki’s camp that they would be willing to trade to maximize their bonus pool and offer Sasaki the entirety of those funds while the Dodgers lined up a trade with the Phillies to add additional bonus pool money in the event that they landed Sasaki. The Blue Jays were especially aggressive in their pursuit of Sasaki, however.

While all three clubs were clearly willing to add significant bonus pool dollars in order to land Sasaki, Toronto acquired $2MM in international bonus pool space from the Guardians by taking on the majority of the money owed to center fielder Myles Straw over the next two years despite not actually having a deal in place with the right-hander. The impetus behind that trade utlimately did not work out for Toronto as Sasaki wound up choosing Los Angeles. Despit that, The Athletic’s report indicates that the Blue Jays believe Straw could be a worthwhile addition in his own right and that the money they took on to land him won’t be prohibitive as they continue to look for ways to upgrade their roster. Notably, center fielder Daulton Varsho is not expected to be ready for Opening Day and the addition of Straw could give the club some depth at the position while Varsho recovers.

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Is this a joke?

The Padres lost another one of their stars to the Dodgers this morning

By Ben Fadden Jan 19, 2025, 8:55am PST 4 Comments / 4 New

So if it wasn’t bad enough that Roki Sasaki—the Padres white whale this offseason—signed with the Dodgers a few days ago, how about Tanner Scott picking them?

The one guy who dominated Shohei Ohtani now joins him to pitch against San Diego’s lineup. This will be fun to watch.

Still as we sit here on this Sunday morning the Padres haven’t signed or traded for a Major League player. One win away from beating the World Series champions and this is how they have they reacted.

In all fairness, the offseason isn’t over and the offseason for A.J. Preller doesn’t end in February. It ends when the first pitch on Opening Day is thrown.
We’ve seen him make significant late moves so we could feel a whole lot better about this team in a few months but right now this feels like we’re in a bad dream.

Fan favorite Blake Snell signs with the Dodgers. Sasaki. Scott. Who’s next? Jurickson Profar? (I’m kidding. It’s not happening. Their outfield is full but we’re down bad right now)

The Dodgers will be $130+ million over the Competitive Balance Tax threshold. So much for balance.

Props to them for spending the money they have but at the same time, shouldn’t MLB step in and put a cap when a team is going aggressively over the threshold. There are General Managers in the league that want to spend but literally don’t have this money to do so. They’re supposed to look at the Dodgers and think all this is fine and dandy?

Another sad day in the offseason for Padres fans.

[ I guess, when we as Guardian fans feel like things aren't going our way, shouldn't feel sorry for ourselves. Things could be worse. Just ask the Padre fans ]

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Michael Harris II catch named top defensive play of 2024 by MLB Network

His leaping catch in Philadelphia topped all MLB plays last season.

https://x.com/i/status/1880782477192544522

No better play showed off his athletic ability better than the leaping catch he made on August 31 against the Philadelphia Phillies. He race toward the gap in right-center and leaped against the wall to make a highlight reel catch that saw him almost toppled over the the fence and into the Phillies’ bullpen.

The catch was so spectacular that MLB Network has named his catch the top defensive play for MLB in 2024.

Michael Harris II, like many other members of the Atlanta Braves, dealt with injuries that caused him to miss 50 games during the 2024 season. While that combined with a low BAABIP led to a step back offensively, defensively, the 23-year-old centerfielder shined.

Harris II was good for eight outs above average, according to Baseball Savant, despite missing almost one-third of the campaign. In 255 attempts, he was successful on 94-percent, three percentage points better that estimated.

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MLB: Matt Chapman sends a message to the Dodgers after signing Roki Sasaki

The San Francisco Giants don't feel any pressure from the Los Angeles Dodgers and their recent signings ahead of the 2025 season. This was made clear by the Bay Area team's third baseman, Matt Chapman .

The Dodgers are coming off a World Series win and immediately upgraded their team. Not only did they add a pitcher with a career 2.02 ERA and four seasons of experience in Japan, Roki Sasaki, but they also signed former Giants ace Blake Snell this offseason.

The Giants have also added talent. They signed shortstop Willy Adames to a seven-year, $182 million contract in December and recently bolstered their rotation with Justin Verlander.

n an interview with The Mercury News' Justice delos Santos, Matt Chapman said that "titles are not won in the offseason."

"Nothing is guaranteed," the third baseman said. "You have to go out and do it. On paper, your team can look really good. Obviously, they're probably the favorites, but that doesn't change anything for us. Our goals are to win the division and make the playoffs."

According to Spotrac , Los Angeles has a payroll of approximately #2 $273 million for 2025; while San Francisco's is about #13 $163 million. (Guardians #25 $70,777,500) (Phillies #1 $279,332,617)

For the San Francisco Giants to truly get to the next level, they can't be afraid of Los Angeles, and Chapman has begun instilling that mentality early on. The Bay Area team is looking to return to the playoffs after falling short for a third straight year in 2024.

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