UPDATE: The Cubs are now included on the list of teams out on Roki Sasaki.

The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma reported the news Monday evening:

That leaves the Dodgers, Padres and Blue Jays as teams still in the running for the 23-year-old right-hander.

Roki Sasaki is narrowing his list of teams.

The Japanese sensation was posted last month for Major League Baseball teams.

He can sign as soon as Wednesday (Jan. 15), though he is not expected to on that day. He will have to sign before Jan. 23, though, because of the posting restrictions that limit his window to 45 days.

Multiple MLB teams reportedly are out on Sasaki’s services, including the Giants, Mets and Yankees:

Sasaki has performed at an elite level in Japan over the last few seasons, posting a career 30-15 record and 2.02 ERA. In 2024, he went 10-5 with a 2.35 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 129 strikeouts in 111 innings.

[MORE: Why Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki chose now to come to Major League Baseball]

He has never thrown more than 129.1 innings or appeared in more than 20 games in a season (which he accomplished in 2022), so there is still a question of what type of workload he will be able to handle as a rookie in the U.S. But teams are interested in Sasaki not only for his immense potential but also because he would not require a hefty financial investment.

Since he is coming over as a minor-league free agent, Sasaki would be limited to a contract under a team’s international bonus pool. The Cubs have $6,261,600 available in their international bonus pool, according to The Associated Press.