MLB analyst explains why LA is ideal fit for young Japanese Roki Sasaki (Getty)

The Roki Sasaki sweepstakes are underway, as MLB teams have lined up to schedule meetings with the Japanese pitcher. The 23-year-old is officially posted, and every team can sign the 23-year-old ace as an international free agent.

This limits his cost and makes him available to even the smaller market teams. MLB analyst Xavier Scruggs believes that ultimately, the Los Angeles Dodgers remain the favorites in spite of that.

“I have them at number one,” the analyst said of Dodgers. “He’s seen the success of the Dodgers, and what they’ve been able to do over in Asia. Obviously, the Dodgers brand is massive. Now you add Shohei Ohtani to that. It’s going to be hard to turn away from that.”

Scruggs added that it would be hard to pass up pitching in the same rotation as fellow Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The former MLB player also cited Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell as enticing options to combine forces with for Sasaki.

From the Dodgers’ perspective, Scruggs believes adding another starter makes sense since players like Dustin May, Glasnow and Tony Gonsolin have suffered injuries and weren’t even available last postseason. The Dodgers may have six starters already, but they probably feel as if they can never have too many.

Dodgers have officially met with Roki Sasaki

The first step in Roki Sasaki joining an MLB team is to meet with them. The Los Angeles Dodgers have completed that first step. They are one of the first teams to have landed a meeting with him so far.

Roki Sasaki has met with several MLB teams (Imagn)

The New York Mets, New York Yankees, San Francisco Giantsand Texas Rangers, per MLB Trade Rumors, have already met with the pitcher as well. LA remains the favorite, though.

Other teams are likely to get involved in the sweepstakes. The Detroit Tigers recently requested a meeting with Sasaki’s agent, Joel Wolfe. There was initial chatter that the Dodgers had already signed Sasaki with a handshake agreement.

This would be a verbal agreement to sign once Sasaki could be inked to a deal, but his agent refuted that claim vehemently and they are still meeting with teams now.