The highly touted Japanese right-handed pitcher Roki Sasaki is anticipated to be made available for MLB free agency during the Baseball Winter Meetings next week, as reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan on Saturday. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Mark Feinsand from MLB.com, and Jon Heyman of the New York Post also confirmed Passan’s report. Sasaki’s […]
The highly touted Japanese right-handed pitcher Roki Sasaki is anticipated to be made available for MLB free agency during the Baseball Winter Meetings next week, as reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan on Saturday.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Mark Feinsand from MLB.com, and Jon Heyman of the New York Post also confirmed Passan’s report.
Sasaki’s team, the Chiba Lotte Marines in Nippon Professional Baseball, agreed to post the promising young pitcher back in November. Nevertheless, since Sasaki is under 25, he qualifies as an international amateur and will be subject to the bonus pool restrictions of each team.
Once his posting is official, Sasaki will have a 45-day window to negotiate with MLB franchises. Should the 23-year-old right-hander fail to finalize a contract within this timeframe, he will return to the Marines for the 2025 season.
As noted by Passan, Sasaki is likely to hold off on joining a club until after January 15, marking the beginning of a new international amateur signing period. Most teams have already maxed out their international free agent budgets for the current cycle, meaning Sasaki waiting an additional month will increase the potential ceiling on his first major league contract.
If he is posted on Sunday, Sasaki’s negotiating period will extend to January 22, aligning with his apparent strategy.
Teams begin with bonus pools ranging from $5.1 million to $7.5 million, with the option to trade for an additional 60% beyond their set amount. According to most analysts, Sasaki will be worth every cent, similar to how Shohei Ohtani was when he signed a $2.3 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels in December 2017.
Since entering the professional realm in 2019, Sasaki boasts a record of 30-15 with a 2.02 ERA, 0.883 WHIP, and 11.4 strikeouts per nine innings. He was also 1-0 with a 3.52 ERA, 1.174 WHIP, and 11.7 strikeouts per nine innings during the 2023 World Baseball Classic, contributing to Japan’s Gold Medal win while showcasing his capability to throw a fastball clocked at 102 miles per hour.
Standing at 6-foot-4, he is already a two-time NPB All-Star, having achieved a perfect game and set the NPB single-game strikeout record in 2022. Although he dealt with a torn oblique and arm soreness this season, Sasaki still recorded a 10-5 record with a 2.35 ERA, 1.036 WHIP, and 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings over 18 starts, maintaining his ability to surpass 100 mph with his fastball.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are considered leading contenders to sign Sasaki, especially since Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are already under contract for the next ten years. The San Diego Padres also have a fair chance of acquiring the young right-hander, with seasoned Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish potentially influencing Sasaki’s decision.
Passan also mentioned the Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, New York Mets, and San Francisco Giants as possible destinations for Sasaki.
While Sasaki is set to be the most sought-after international free agent available this winter, he is not the only pitcher making the move from Japan. Other pitchers, such as Tomoyuki Sugano, Shinnosuke Ogasawara and Koyo Aoyagi are also set to join MLB.
Yamamoto and Shota Imanaga were the leading Japanese pitchers who joined MLB teams last offseason.
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