A.J. Preller’s pursuit of Roki Sasaki, the standout prize of this offseason, may have unofficially started in the middle of the summer. On June 6, Padres pitcher Yu Darvish was placed on the restricted list to handle a personal family matter.

Pitcher Roki Sasaki is the next star to make the jump from Japan to Major League Baseball. With Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto starring for the champion Los Angeles Dodgers, smart money is on Sasaki heading to Hollywood.

Despite rumors to the contrary, representatives for pitcher Roki Sasaki are reportedly telling major league teams that his destination hasn't been decided.

The Dodgers have sought to, in the words of manager Dave Roberts, “paint the country of Japan blue” through their leveraging of last winter’s Japanese signings, Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. They’ve fostered a strong relationship with Sasaki’s agent,

All the latest MLB rumors, including a dark horse lurking for Roki Sasaki, a pitching fallback for the Braves and an ideal first-base fit for the Yankees

Even though the Philadelphia Phillies will likely pursue Roki Sasaki, is is unlikely that they would be one of the favorites to sign him.