The frenzy is nearing its completion. Several teams have reportedly been told that they wont be signing the right-hander and now reports that the Dodgers, Padres and Blue Jays are the three finalists. The Cubs are no longer in the running, according to , with adding that the Cubs have been informed of their status. It seems that today was the day that Sasaki and his reps started informing teams that had been eliminated from the running. Earlier today, indicated that the Giants, Yankees, Mets, Rangers and Diamondbacks would not be signing Sasaki. The Mariners were vaguely connected to Sasaki at times and hadnt been expre sly eliminated, but it seems they didnt make it to the podium as one of the top three. Sasakis decision has been one of the biggest wild cards hanging over the offseason. Since hes coming over to the big leagues before his 25th birthday, hes considered an amateur under MLB rules and is therefore subject to the international bonus pool system. As such, no club could be initially ruled out just based on economics, as is usually the case with other free agents. Each team gets an annual pool of Jeff Petry Jersey money that they are allowed to spend on international amateurs. This years pools are in the $5-8MM range, with the smaller-market clubs mostly having the slightly larger ones. Teams can trade for more pool space but they cant increase their initial allotment by more than 60%. A posting fee will also be owed to the Chiba Lotte Marines, Sasakis former club in Japan, though that will only add 20% of the bonus. As such, each team has roughly the same ability to pay Sasaki a few million bucks. Sasaki is likely therefore to decide based on factors beyond money. After all, if money was his top priority, he probably would have waited until he turned 25. Thats what did, which led to a $325MM deal from the Dodgers. No one can say for sure what Sasaki is prioritizing, though the Dodgers and Padres have been seen as logical suitors for a while now. Both clubs are on the West Coast, which is closer to Japan, perhaps a favorable factor when considering the flights for Sasaki and his family members. The Dodgers also have a strong reputation as a whole, having made the postseason in each year going back to 2013, with a fresh World Series victory in 2024. The Padres dont have quite the same track record of succe s but have been good in recent years. Both clubs also have Japanese players on the roster, with the Dodgers having Yamamoto and Ohtani, while the Padres have . Some reports have suggested Sasaki and Darvish have an especially close relationship. The Jays have been floated as a landing spot for Sasaki far le s than the Dodgers or Padres, which is sensible. They are not on the West Coast. They had a strong run of contention from 2020 to 2023 but are coming off a down season. They had until last years trade deadline but dont currently have a Japanese player on the roster. In April of 2023, wrote that Some Japanese players are uncomfortable being major-league teammates with other Japanese players because of the importance of seniority in Japans hierarchical culture, major-league executives and agents say. That piece was examining the po sibility of Ohtani singing with the Mets when they already had on the roster. Sasakis agent Joel Wolfe has downplayed the importance of a club having Japanese players on its roster, either positively or negatively. That was never a topic of discu sion, Wolfe said last month, per . Its po sible that Sasaki will be attracted to playing in another country for other reasons. Wolfe has that the Japanese media was often unkind to Sasaki, which could perhaps make it preferable for him to be in a smaller market. Toronto isnt exactly a small market but it would be further away from the American media spotlight. The Blue Jays are also owned by Rogers Communications, the media company that broadcasts the clubs games on television and radio. Perhaps that would allow the Jays to promise Sasaki a more guarded environment in terms of media acce s. Toronto is also a city with a reputation for its diversity and relatively low crime rates. Those are all speculative arguments, but the same could be said about the arguments for Sasaki preferring Los Angeles or San Diego. Sasaki and Wolfe have given very few clues about what will be used to make the final decision, leaving the baseball world to mostly gue s. Whatever he decides will likely have ripple effects into the rest of the offseason. The Padres have a tight budget and needs all over their roster. Trading is reportedly one potential solution to their situation, which would perhaps become more likely if they sign Sasaki. The Dodgers already have lots of rotation options and might consider a trade of their own if they add Sasaki. Thats perhaps le s likely with the Jays, who have been trying to add a starting pitcher all winter without succe s thus far. There will also be domino effects elsewhere. Whichever team signs Sasaki will likely have to walk away from verbal commitments to teenagers in Latin America, as they will need to redirect bonus money to Sasaki. That will lead to those players then looking for other clubs. Some of this has seemingly already started to happen, as the Pirates are reportedly going to sign Darell Morel, a Dominican shortstop that had previously been committed to the Dodgers. It wont take long for all of these knock-on effects to really ramp up. Sasakis posting window closes on January 23, meaning resolution will be coming in le s than a week. He cant officially sign until January 15, when the new international signing period begins, though its po sible an agreement could be reported before then. Carter Gylander Jersey