Blake Snell signing could put Orioles in stronger spot to land Japanese star

Earlier this week, the Dodgers surprised us all and announced a 5 year contract with two-time Cy Young award winner Blake Snell. The Dodgers already have a stacked rotation, especially with Shohei Ohtani expected to return to the mound in 2025, and it was a bit of a shock to see them pursuing someone like Snell at the top of the free agent market.

That said, LA did have trouble keeping starters on the mound in 2024 and ran into issues with having to run bullpen games in the postseason because they didn't have enough healthy, trusted starting pitchers at the end of the year.

Snell isn't exactly the innings eater type that the Dodgers seemingly needed, but he does have sky-high upside. He has the two Cy Young awards in his pocket already and despite working through injuries in 2024 was one of the best starters in the league down the stretch.

From August 1 on, Snell pitched to a 1.44 ERA with a 1.64 FIP and a 39.1% strikeout rate in 56.1 innings. That's the pitcher the Giants thought they were getting when they signed him to a two-year deal worth $62 million last winter. Snell exercised his opt out after the stellar performance and was rewarded for his efforts.

Blake Snell's arrival in LA could mean Roki Sasaki lands elsewhere

One interesting note about the Snell signing is that it could mean that Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki is destined to sign elsewhere after his expected posting later this winter. It has been speculated that Sasaki signing with the Dodgers was all but a done deal, but reports have come out recently that other teams could be in play.

We've already written about how he could wind up in Baltimore. The Orioles have the second most international bonus pool money remaining in 2024 and will be in the second tier for the 2025 period, meaning they can offer Sasaki about as much money as any other team in the league.

But with Snell heading to LA, the Orioles have another advantage. A guaranteed spot in the rotation. It's possible that the Dodgers turn to a 6-man rotation if everyone in their group is healthy. On one hand, that's more akin to how the guys in NPB function and it could potentially reduce stress on the arms there.

On the other hand, if Sasaki were to come to Baltimore he could be the star of the show. It's not a given that Sasaki will be an ace in MLB right away, despite how successful he's been in Japan. But as it looks right now, he could slide into the rotation along with Zach Eflin and Grayson Rodriguez with the potential to be the best arm in the group.

If that's something that matters to Sasaki, it might behoove him to sign somewhere other than LA. He won't be the brightest star in the bunch out there, and he might have to work on a limited schedule to appease the other guys in the rotation. That could give teams like the Orioles a leg up in their negotiations with the young star.