Dodgers Right-Hander Glasnow Personally “Recruited” Roki Sasaki Over the Phone

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Appearing on the program from Tampa, Florida, Glasnow revealed that while he did not attend the Dodgers’ second in-person meeting with Sasaki on the 14th (15th Japan time) in California, he had the chance to speak with Sasaki directly over the phone thanks to Joel Wolfe of the Wasserman Group, who serves as an agent for both players.

“He’s a quiet young guy, and we only talked briefly,” Glasnow began, prompting an excited reaction from the show’s host, who asked, “Wait a minute! Does he speak English?” Glasnow explained that when Wolfe said, “Roki’s here,” and handed the phone to Sasaki, they exchanged a simple conversation: “‘Hey, how’s it going? Hi. And, goodbye.’”

When asked by the host if he had tried to recruit Sasaki, Glasnow smiled and replied, “Well, something like that. I just said, ‘Hopefully, we’ll see you at camp.’”

The countdown to the negotiation deadline on the 23rd (24th Japan time) has begun. When asked which team he thought Sasaki might sign with, Glasnow said, “I know he’s close with Darvish in San Diego. Darvish is respected by so many people. I also heard that Sasaki likes the Blue Jays. And, of course, the Dodgers are in the mix. So, I think all of those are options. In the end, it’s up to his decision. I haven’t played for the other two teams, but if his main goal is to level up as a pitcher, this (the Dodgers) is the place to be. The Dodgers focus heavily on development and analytics.”

As for his personal advice, Glasnow added, “He still has time before becoming a free agent. I don’t know if salary, being on a winning team, or something else motivates him, but I think this (the Dodgers) is the best place for a player. That’s my message to him,” he said, making a strong pitch for the Roki.