TORONTO

With a handful of Japanese stars becoming available this offseason, both through the posting system and free agency, the Dodgers again loom as the premier destination for Nippon Professional Baseball expatriates.

Based on recent history, Los Angeles tends to get first pick. World Series Game 2 starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki — the former Chiba Lotte Marines ace who’s been converted to closer for this October run — refused similar offers from both New York teams to sign with the Dodgers.

The presence of Shohei Ohtani certainly has played a major role in those decisions, as Yamamoto inked his 12-year, $325 million deal roughly two weeks after Ohtani got his $700 million contract to head up the I-5 to Chavez Ravine.

The following year, Sasaki was posted by Chiba Lo

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