Blue Jays miss out on Roki Sasaki

TORONTO — This time it was Roki Sasaki’s flip to interrupt the Blue Jays’ hearts.

The Blue Jays, together with the Padres, had rounded out the ultimate three within the race for Sasaki, which included a reported go to to Toronto final week, however the group finds itself left standing on the doorstep as soon as once more. This comes simply hours after the Blue Jays swung a take care of the Guardians so as to add $2 million in worldwide bonus pool cash, taking up the contract of Myles Straw within the course of.

This simply retains taking place. The Blue Jays had been all in on Ohtani a 12 months in the past, pushing the Dodgers all the way down to the wire in some of the dramatic pursuits we’ve seen in years. This winter it was Juan Soto, as soon as once more taking the Blue Jays a whole lot of tens of millions of {dollars} past the place they’d ever gone. They took a run at Corbin Burnes, too.

These outcomes are troublesome to grapple with, notably for a fan base that’s starved for its first postseason win since 2016.

It’s encouraging that the Blue Jays are recurrently in these conversations, keen to spend the cash and showing to be making engaging pitches to among the greatest names within the sport. It beats the choice, on the very least, however there must be a payoff finally. Followers care about outcomes, not course of. Followers cheer when the blooper falls into shallow heart discipline, not when the road drive with the next hit chance turns right into a lineout.

Finally, the Blue Jays will discover somebody to take their cash, however Sasaki was a dream state of affairs. Since Sasaki is signing earlier than he turns 25 and has fewer than six seasons performed in a international skilled league, he’s signed underneath worldwide bonus pool restrictions, not a wide-open market just like the one which landed Yoshinobu Yamamoto a 12-year, $325 million deal a 12 months in the past. Alternatives to accumulate a participant with Sasaki’s upside at this age and value aren’t simply uncommon, they’re almost nonexistent.

The Blue Jays have proven an eagerness to land one other star from Japan or Korea, increasing their presence within the Asian market. Rogers possession allowed the entrance workplace to pursue Ohtani so aggressively due to the enterprise case, not simply the participant. The Blue Jays received a style of that by means of Hyun Jin Ryu’s years in Toronto and the media consideration that got here together with him, however Ohtani — and doubtlessly Sasaki — are on one other stage completely.

Now the Blue Jays are left asking the identical previous query: What’s subsequent?

This lineup nonetheless wants a bat or two, the rotation wants some depth and the bullpen wants one other arm, even after the addition of Jeff Hoffman. There are nonetheless loads of choices on the free-agent market, together with Anthony Santander and Pete Alonso, and that market is predicted to select up once more very quickly.

The Sasaki pursuit shined a light-weight on this group’s strengths and weaknesses. One factor Toronto does properly is purchase established pitching, develop them additional and maintain them wholesome. Have a look at Robbie Ray, Kevin Gausman, Jose Berríos, Chris Bassitt, Yusei Kikuchi and others. The event of pitching prospects, although, has room for enchancment, and the farm system has not finished sufficient to switch among the expertise that the Blue Jays have misplaced … or are about to lose within the coming years. A participant like Sasaki is trying not simply at 2025 however properly past. What gamers see is a 74-88 staff with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette doubtlessly 162 video games away from free company. It’s not fairly at a look.

The Blue Jays will now watch from a distance once more because the one who received away heads to L.A. … once more. That they had a shot. They’ve hit these photographs earlier than with stars Gausman and George Springer, however as these close to misses proceed to pile up, these days really feel additional away.