After losing Roki Sasaki, Blue Jays coach offers hilarious take on what he would try differently next time

In the offseason, Toronto is covered with snow, and it seems the Blue Jays are struggling with that, as manager John Schneider believes it could be the reason why Roki Sasaki didn't sign with them in the offseason.

After being posted to the MLB from Japan, Sasaki was on the radar of several big-market teams due to his high upside. Eventually, a select few teams who were still on him included the Dodgers and the Blue Jays, like when Shohei Ohtani was a free agent. Once again, the Dodgers beat the Blue Jays for Sasaki's signature, and Schneider reckons Toronto's weather is to blame for that.

During his interaction with Foul Territory discussing Sasaki's free agency, Schneider joked about Toronto’s winter weather during player visits.

“Maybe not have snow on the ground in the winter when guys are coming up here," Schneider said (16:25 onwards).

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John Schneider reveals insights from failed Roki Sasaki sweepstakes

During the same segment, John Schneider discussed a high‑stakes recruitment campaign for Roki Sasaki.

The Jays flew down to LA, met Sasaki and gave him the presentation on what they had in store for him. They made sure that Sasaki knew they would go hand in hand in his development while boasting the facilities they have in Toronto.

"It was interesting because he's a young dude and there's still some development going to happen, so he was interested in that—not just, 'What are you going to pay me or what are you going to do for me?' It was kind of, 'How am I going to get better?' So it was interesting to talk through that," Schneider said (12:28 onwards).

Days later, Sasaki and his camp checked in at Toronto to tour the facilities.

"We did dinners; we had players here talking to him; people even Zoomed in. We showed them the entire facility. The facilities we have are next level," Schneider added.

"The clubhouse, the training room, the weight room—it’s like a Four Seasons spa in here sometimes. You almost feel like it's two. He was really appreciative of everything, and through talking with him and his team, it felt like we were in a pretty good spot."

The reaction from Roki Sasaki's camp following the visit convinced Schneider that they would sign him. However, he got a reality check after Sasaki signed with the Dodgers to join his compatriots Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Schneider, though disappointed, expressed pride in the team's effort.