Cubs Rumors: It'll 'be a shock' if Roki Sasaki ends up anywhere but the West Coast

We're in the home stretch of the Roki Sasaki sweepstakes. When the calendar turns to January next week, the expectation is an announcement could be imminent - although the official 'sign on the dotted line' aspect will have to wait until Jan. 15, when the 2025 international signing period opens.

Although the Chicago Cubs were reportedly upset that news of their meeting with the right-hander had leaked, the fact they had a meeting at all offers a slight glimmer of hope. But the latest reports suggest the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres are the front-runners, which shouldn't come as a shock to anyone who's been following this saga in recent weeks.

The Dodgers have been viewed as the top contender for the 23-year-old even before he was officially posted - and the Padres have the benefit of not only being on the West Coast, as well, but having the influence of Japanese right-hander Yu Darvish, as well. Darvish also loved his time in Chicago, so that could be a wild-card in all of this if somehow it comes down to the Cubs and another team besides San Diego in the end.

The Cubs have two of the highest-profile Japanese players in the league currently in outfielder Seiya Suzuki and left-handed pitcher Shota Imanaga, the latter of whom made a near-flawless transition to Major League Baseball in 2024 after eight seasons in Japan. Suzuki and Sasaki share an agent in Wasserman's Joel Wolfe - another common thread in this intricate web.

Money isn't the deciding factor here. Sasaki made sure of that when he decided to come to the U.S. before turning 25. Had he waited two more years, he'd have been in line for a deal comparable to the 12-year, $325 million pact Yoshinobu Yamamoto signed with the Dodgers last winter. That gives teams like the Cubs at least a marginally improved chance at landing the right-hander, but the West Coast preference seems to be a big factor here.

Chicago could use more rotation help, even after signing Matthew Boyd to a two-year, $29 million pact. Imanaga and Boyd are projected to join the likes of Justin Steele, Jameson Taillon and a combination of Javier Assad and Jordan Wicks, although Assad looked to have a slight edge coming off another strong showing in 2024.

Continuing to explore rotation upgrades remains a priority - regardless of how the next few weeks go. Right now, though, signs point to Sasaki joining an NL West club, barring a last-minute change.