The Roki Sasaki sweepstakes are heating up.
The Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, and Toronto Blue Jays are finalists for the star Japanese pitcher, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan.
Sasaki is eligible to sign a contract beginning Wednesday and must decide on a new team by the end of his posting window Jan. 23.
The New York Yankees, New York Mets, Texas Rangers, and San Francisco Giants were all reportedly informed Monday that they're out of the running. The Seattle Mariners and Chicago Cubs have also been connected to Sasaki this winter.
Sasaki's agent, Joel Wolfe, said as many as 20 MLB teams showed interest in signing the 23-year-old this offseason.
The former Chiba Lotte Marines star is making the move to North America after a terrific four-season stint in Japan's top professional league. Sasaki owns a career 2.10 ERA with 11.5 K/9 across 64 appearances.
