Japanese right-handed pitcher Rōki Sasaki has ruled out a handful of teams and is seemingly getting closer to making his decision. According to ESPN's

Japanese star Roki Sasaki signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, he announced on Instagram. The 23-year-old right-hander with a sizzling fastball and deadly splitter joins Samurai Japan teammates Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto with the World Series champion Dodgers.

The Roki Sasaki sweepstakes are winding down, with finalists emerging and teams being informed that they're out of the running.

In an exciting development, we heard early on Friday morning that the Toronto Blue Jays were now one of two finalists for Japanese pitching sensation Roki Sasak

The Toronto Blue Jays couldn't land Roki Sasaki in the end, but Ross Atkins still has plenty of options to improve his pitching rotation.

Along with Blake Snell – signed to a five-year, $182 million contract in December. And Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who was posted one year ago after seven dominant seasons in Japan, signed a $325 million contract – and was the starting pitcher for four of the Dodgers’ 11 postseason wins.

Right-hander Roki Sasaki, the covered Japanese free agent, has whittled down a list of suitors to two finalists, according to a report by veteran MLB reporter Francys Romero.

are finalists to sign Japanese pitcher Rōki Sasaki. The finalists for Japanese star right-hander Roki Sasaki are the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays, sources tell ESPN.

The right-hander was one of the most coveted international free agents in recent memory, but the Dodgers won the race to land the coveted pitcher's services.

The Toronto Blue Jays were unable to keep Roki Sasaki away from the bright lights of LA. Here are a few backup plans for Ross Atkins to prioritize.

Rōki Sasaki, the 23-year-old phenom from Japan whose services for the next six seasons could be procured by every Major League Baseball franchise for the equivalent of a rounding error, ended his six-week recruiting period by agreeing to sign with the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday, he announced in a social media post.