Yankees' Roki Sasaki failure looks even worse after pitcher's latest interview

Couldn't even get a second visit?

Los Angeles Dodgers Introduce Roki Sasaki
Los Angeles Dodgers Introduce Roki Sasaki | Kevork Djansezian/GettyImages

Despite a hundred-year legacy of greatness, the New York Yankees always felt fated to miss out on Roki Sasaki, the 23-year-old wunderkind right-hander who seemed ticketed for California since long before his free agency period opened. Some might even have been willing to ... ahem, handshake on it.

Still, it seemed reasonable to believe that Brian Cashman and the Yankees, a team that scouted Sasaki extensively while employing one of the brightest pitching collectives in baseball, would be able to put together a compelling package to at least give the righty pause before defecting to LA. If there was going to be a third team involved, it seemed likely to be New York.

Unfortunately, they didn't even make it onto the podium, eclipsed by the Blue Jays (who ultimately finished second!). Sasaki's agent Joel Wolfe — whether you believe him or not — claimed the process felt like a "coin flip" when the right-hander left each home visit, and earnestly thought Toronto had a chance when they flipped over their Canadian passports at the border.

This could all be theatrical (and probably is), but in that case ... it's still tough to fathom that the theatrics did not include the Yankees. Though it was rumored throughout the process, Sasaki confirmed on MLB Network Wednesday that he "idolized" Masahiro Tanaka growing up. We know the Yankees couldn't bring players to their initial meeting (Sasaki's rules), but there was really no way for them to finagle a Tanaka visit follow-up and workout?

Yankees couldn't get a second meeting with Roki Sasaki despite Masahiro Tanaka being confirmed as his idol. Cool!

Maybe Joel Wolfe was just that annoyed at Brian Cashman over his Giancarlo Stanton comments last offseason, though bygones should be bygones now that Stanton is an October hero. Maybe the Yankees' homework assignment about keeping Sasaki healthy was such a flat "D-" that it wasn't even worth discussing (though, given the Dodgers' injury history, it's tough to imagine them acing that quiz, either).

Again, what changed between the Yankees wooing Tanaka in 2014 coming off their worst season in years/a Red Sox World Series victory and 2024-25, an offseason following an AL pennant? Is the answer "just the Dodgers"? Is that really all that changed and become more appealing? Doubtful.

Perhaps someday, someone whose "idol" played for the team in question will ultimately choose to finish what their hero started instead of running scared. Until then, the Dodgers will continue to be the 2011-12 Miami Heat, and the Yankees will continue to be hated as if they still are.

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