We knew it was coming, but it still hurts.
We’ve known for a very long time that the San Francisco Giants were highly unlikely to sign Rōki Sasaki, but we all held on to a very tiny glimmer of hope. Now that hope has shifted. We are no longer hoping that Sasaki will sign with the Giants, and are back to hoping that he won’t sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
On a Zoom call Monday morning to announce the Justin Verlander signing, new Giants GM Zack Minasian revealed that Sasaki had informed the Giants that he would not be signing with them.
Zack Minasian said the Giants met with Roki Sasaki but were recently told that they would not be his destination.
— Maria I. Guardado (@miguardado.bsky.social) 2025-01-13T18:40:40.347Z
This certainly isn’t surprising, even if it stings. There were a few reasons to hope the Hail Mary landed in the Giants hands (an elite pitch-framer to throw to; a great ballpark to pitch in; a non-brutal media market; and no Japanese players to contend with for endorsement dollars), but far more reasons to assume it wouldn’t (smoke leading towards the Dodgers, Dodgers, Padres, Dodgers, and Dodgers; and a fairly uncompetitive team). When the news rolled out in recent days that the Giants would move forward with all their pre-determined January 15 international agreements, while other teams like the Dodgers and Padres would drop some of their commitments, the writing was fully on the wall.
Sasaki will likely be a star wherever he goes, and the Giants will cross all their fingers and toes that it will not be in the NL West. And, after losing Blake Snell to start the offseason, and failing to sign Sasaki or Corbin Burnes, the Giants will certainly be hoping that Verlander can turn back the clock.