Dodgers one of finalists to land Sasaki

This story was excerpted from Sonja Chen's Dodgers Beat newsletter, written this week by Paul Casella. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

With so many Roki Sasaki rumors swirling over the past month -- especially in the past few days -- it may feel almost impossible to keep up with everything.

But the Sasaki sweepstakes are finally nearing an end -- and the Dodgers still very much in the mix. So what better time to revisit the biggest questions surrounding the top remaining free agent?

Here's an up-to-date look at everything you need to know about Sasaki:

When does he need to sign by?

Sasaki needs to reach a deal with an MLB team by Thursday, when his posting window closes. That will mark 45 days from when he was posted by the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball.

Which teams are still in the running?

Earlier this week, Sasaki’s camp notified at least six teams that they were out of the running: the Yankees, Mets, Cubs, D-backs, Rangers and Giants. According to an ESPN report, he has narrowed his list to three teams: the Dodgers, Padres and Blue Jays.

It was then reported on Friday morning that the Padres are no longer in the running, according to veteran reporter Francys Romero. That would seemingly narrow the decision to either Los Angeles or Toronto.

“Just about everyone has assumed he would sign with the Dodgers or Padres from the minute he was posted,” a National League executive told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. “You can’t count out the Blue Jays, because they always seem to be in the mix, but it would be a surprise if he didn’t wind up with one of those SoCal teams.”

To that end, Sasaki -- who met with each club last month -- has since held a second meeting with San Diego, Toronto and Los Angeles. He had his follow-up meeting with the Padres and Blue Jays over the past week, then huddled back up with the Dodgers on Tuesday, according to Fabian Ardaya and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (subscription required).

With each of those meetings in the books, Sasaki’s decision could come at any time.

What will his contract look like?

The 23-year-old Sasaki is classified under international amateur rules because he is under 25 years old, meaning his salary is capped at the league minimum, but he may be awarded a signing bonus out of a club's bonus pool. It’s the same rules Shohei Ohtani was subjected to when he signed with the Angels in 2017, though they did not apply to Yoshinobu Yamamoto when he signed with the Dodgers last year.

Sources have told Feinsand that the Dodgers and Padres have each been calling other teams to inquire about trading for more international bonus pool money, which would presumably be used to try to land Sasaki. His deal will likely check in at around $5 million to $6 million, more in line with the one Ohtani signed with the Angels in 2017 than the 12-year, $325 million contract signed by Yamamoto last winter.

As far as the length of the deal, assuming Sasaki never spends a day in the Minors, he will be under club control through the 2030 season. He will become arbitration-eligible following the ‘27 campaign.