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Yankees' Roki Sasaki chase reportedly over after sinking Monday news drop

Well, not secret *anymore*, but you get it.
Adam Weinrib
Adam Weinrib

Yanks Go Yard

World Baseball Classic Semifinals: Mexico v Japan / Eric Espada/GettyImages

How closely were you following the Roki Sasaki chase ahead of the Jan. 15 date where his decision window officially opens? Was the pitcher's every move tattooed on the inside of your eyelids? If you're a Yankees fan, that might not have been a great decision.

While it always felt fun to keep New York in the back of your mind -- due to the Masahiro Tanaka connection, Sasaki's apparent affinity for pitching labs, and, well, the fact that he's a 23-year-old stud -- it never seemed likely that he'd pick anyone other than the Los Angeles Dodgers or San Diego Padres, the two NL West titans who'd help him competitively and geographically.

That reality came to a head on Monday, when Sasaki reportedly told the Yankees he would not be signing with the team.

The right-hander reportedly held a secret meeting/throwing session with the Toronto Blue Jays last week, the jetted to San Diego and met with the Pads. While the Yankees might've been "satisfied" with their pitch to the Japanese superstar, that can only go so far when you can't change your geographic location or trade for Yu Darvish.

Yankees target Roki Sasaki won't be signing in New York, had secret meeting with Toronto Blue Jays

This time, things went slightly differently than in 2017, when the "favored" Yankees became the first team eliminated on Shohei Ohtani. Instead, they were the second team with registered interest to be eliminated and join the ~10 or so teams that didn't even pitch the amateur ace (Side Note: Why?) in the "reject" pile. The Elimination Hammer came for the San Francisco Giants first -- or, at least, their removal from the race was leaked earlier in the day.

The Yankees may have been next, but at least they weren't first!

The Toronto factor is surprising here, as well as the depth of their meeting, given the Blue Jays' completely absent status from the rumor mill prior to Monday. Still, with the Yankees banished, the overwhelming likelihood remains the same as it's always been. Which California team will be victorious?

[This conclusion is subject to change if the Jays pull off a miracle.]

Adam Weinrib

Adam Weinrib

Adam Weinrib is a Content Director on the FanSided network, and has been the co-editor at Yanks Go Yard for 6 years. He also co-hosts The Baseball Insiders Podcast thrice weekly, alongside FanSided MLB insider Robert Murray, as well as the Yanks Go Yard Podcast. Previously, he was a Senior Editor at 12up.com, and has been covering MLB and NFL for 10 years. He was also a headline and features contributor at ClickHole and Onion Sports, as well as the Associate Producer of the ESPN 30 for 30 film "Believeland". An avowed fan of the New York sports teams -- specifically the Yankees -- as well as the North Carolina Tar Heels, you can find Adam complaining mid-game on Twitter, as well as on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn if the game goes really poorly.