Blue Jays losing the Roki Sasaki sweepstakes feels even better after the latest update

Despite rehabbing from a right shoulder impingement, Roki Sasaki's stuff is still not there, and there are no plans for him to see big league reps anytime soon. While nobody ever likes to see start players get hurt, Jays fans should be ecstatic that the team may have dodged a bullet in the Sasaki sweepstakes this past offseason. In turn, Myles Straw, who was traded to Toronto for $2 million in international bonus pool space designed to improve the Blue Jays' chances of acquiring Sasaki, has been a pleasant surprise.

Sasaki's season started brutally, as he ran up his ERA to 4.72 in 34 innings of work before hitting the injured list. Not only did he have a rocky start to his career on this side of the world, but he has continued to struggle mightily during his latest rehab stints down in Triple-A for the Oklahoma City Comets.

Through four starts and 14 innings pitched in the minors, Sasaki has an 8:8 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a 7.07 ERA, which is abysmal to say the least. In his first rehab start, he only got through two innings of work, allowing three earned runs on six hits, without striking out a batter. He hasn't fared much better since then.

The most noticeable aspect of his struggles comes with his velocity dip, which was displayed in his most recent outing. Pitching against the Astros Triple-A squad, he averaged 94.3 mph on his fastball, which is significantly lower than what he was throwing while in Japan and when he was with the big league club. The results have been minor leaguers lighting him up frequently.

Sasaki only lasted one inning, getting shelled for four earned runs on two homers while walking and hitting a batter. What makes this even more concerning is that the Astros' farm system is ranked second last in the league, in front of the San Diego Padres. Before his shoulder injury, he ran up his fastball to 96 mph, which is quite concerning for Dodgers fans.

The Dodgers skipper, Dave Roberts, took to the media to express his concerns. “I am surprised. The talent level is certainly there,” he said. “The performance, the stuff hasn’t been there. I think there needs to be a tick up in stuff. And also against Triple-A hitters, you would expect more.”

For the Blue Jays, Sasaki’s rocky transition to North America has become a silver lining. When they fell short in the sweepstakes, it looked like a missed opportunity, and fans were upset about missing out on potentially adding yet another big piece. Now, with Sasaki’s velocity down, shoulder questions lingering, and no immediate path back to the majors, the Jays fans can be a bit relieved.

That being said, it's much easier to breathe that sigh of relief when the team is atop the American League. The Jays avoided the uncertainty that the Dodgers are now stuck with, so what once felt like a setback may actually end up being a smaller win for the 2025 Toronto Blue Jays that gets swept under the rug.