Dodgers are favorites, but this team could be a prime Roki Sasaki landing spot

In total, his Nippon Professional Baseball resume reads like that of a video game stat line: 29-15 record, 2.10 ERA, 505 strikeouts and 88 walks, all in 394 2/3 innings in 64 starts over four seasons.

The heavy assumption around the game right now is that Sasaki will join Ohtani and Yamamoto as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Those two combined to sign contracts exceeding $1 billion with L.A. last offseason, and it isn't hard to imagine Sasaki wanting to form the greatest international triumvirate in the sport's long history. He'd also be close to his idol, Yu Darvish, who pitches for the San Diego Padres.

However, there's one team located in the middle of the country that could be a sneaky suitor for the Japanese phenomenon. The Chicago Cubs have made tremendous strides in turning their brand into an international one, and they are one of just four major league teams that have employed 10 or more Japanese players. 

Ever since signing Kosuke Fukudome back in 2007, the Cubs' pipeline of notable Japanese players has been strong: So Taguchi, Koji Uehara, Hisanori Takahashi, Munenori Kawasaki, Darvish, Kyuji Fujikawa, Tsuyoshi Wada, Seiya Suzuki and Shota Imanaga.

Those latter two players are arguably the Cubs' best hitter and pitcher right now, and they'll surely make a sales pitch to Sasaki like Ohtani and Yamamoto are doing for the Dodgers. They're also exiting the latter stages of their latest rebuild, posting consecutive 83-79 seasons and loaded with one of the best farm systems in the sport.

For what it's worth, the Cubs also have more than $1 million in extra international signing bonus room than the Dodgers do. It might not mean a lot to someone who is already artificially limiting how much he can earn, but Sasaki will be demanding a majority of any team's bonus pool. Having more to spend means the Cubs can give Sasaki more and have a little left over to spend on another player.

Both the Dodgers and Cubs have a need in the rotation for another surefire starter, and assuming Ohtani is fully healthy in 2025, Sasaki could choose to form a triumvirate in L.A. or a 1-2 combo in the Windy City with Imanaga.

At this point, fans know little about the Sasaki sweepstakes. He hasn't even been officially posted yet, as the Marines are likely waiting for the 2025 international signing period to begin on Dec. 15. When he is made available, though, don't count out the Cubs. They may be the only team that can keep him away from the Dodgers' clutches.