A new report may shed some light on why the New York Yankees and New York Mets did not get very far in their pursuit of Japanese ace Roki Sasaki.
It has been a very productive last few months for the Yankees and Mets. While New York clubs engaged in a bidding war for superstar outfielder Juan Soto — which was won by the Amazins — they have also made quite a few other big signings.
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The Mets filled holes they had in the starting rotation, including bringing back Sean Manaea. The pinstripes added a pair of former NL MVPs. Gave All-Star Max Fried the biggest contract ever given to a left-hander and traded for elite closer Devin Williams. However, they are far from done this winter.
And another key part of their offseason strategy was to land talented Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki. Yet, despite often being top contenders for talented free agents, the pair of teams didn’t make it passed the second bracket of interested teams.
Well, a new report from ESPN MLB insider Buster Olney has offered new insight into why they failed in their Sasaki chase.
- Roki Sasaki stats (2024): 10-5 Record, 2.35 ERA, 1.036 WHIP, 129 SO, 111.0 IP
Did Roki Sasaki fear playing under the bright lights of Gotham for New York Yankees and Mets?
“In Roki Sasaki’s past meetings with teams, he has come across as a very quiet, very serious person,” Olney wrote in a post on X. “This is being interpreted by some teams as a sign that he might prefer to be in a place where he isn’t the center of attention. In a smaller market, or among more established stars.”
That fear of the pressures of New York and a big market is understandable. Many more established players have failed under the bright lights in the big city. However, for months there have been rumblings of the Los Angeles Dodgers being a favorite to land Sasaki. LA offers just as much pressure as NY.
- Roki Sasaki contract (Projection): Five years, $9.5 million
However, he would not even be the top Japanese star in Los Angeles with Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto already on the roster. Those two stars would offer some unique home-country shade the Mets and Yankees can’t.
But this may also explain why the San Diego Padres have long been seen as a serious contender. They certainly offer a smaller market club with big stars. But they also have Yu Darvish, a person who has been a mentor to Sasaki for years. Either way, the two West Coast teams had more to offer the talented pitcher than their East Coast counterparts.