The Los Angeles Dodgers are in the middle of a crowded fight for Japanese teen Shoki Oda, and they’re hardly alone in the chase.
Oda, who is only 18 and still in high school in Japan, has already drawn interest from a huge chunk of the league. According to international baseball reporter Francys Romero, he has met with the Texas Rangers, Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets, among others.
Romero also reported that meetings are lined up in the coming hours with the St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays, Houston Astros, New York Yankees and more.
The Dodgers are believed to be part of that group as well, though there’s no fresh word on whether their meeting with Oda has already happened or is still ahead.
There’s plenty connecting Oda to Los Angeles. The Dodgers have been targeting him for a while, and Oda is a big Yoshinobu Yamamoto fan. He also follows only one team on Instagram: the Dodgers.
A Japanese news outlet added another layer to the story, reporting that Oda may have reached out to Dodgers officials during a recent trip to the United States, including while attending a Dodgers playoff game.
That kind of overlap makes the Dodgers a natural fit in the conversation, especially given their long relationship with Japanese talent.
Still, Oda is clearly doing his homework. He’s meeting with a wide range of teams, and with international amateur free agency likely ahead of him, he won’t be able to simply choose the highest bidder. He’ll be limited by the international bonus pool.
That means the Dodgers will have to sell him, not just lean on familiarity. Their connection gives them an edge, but with so many teams involved, they’ll need a strong pitch to keep Oda from drifting elsewhere.
Roki Sasaki’s development and the organization’s track record of honoring promises should help their case.
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