The Roki Sasaki sweepstakes are in full effect after the young Japanese pitching sensation was posted last week during the MLB winter meetings.
The 23-year-old is one of the top remaining free agents on the market. He will most likely make his decision next month as the international amateur free-agency period begins Jan. 15.
Sasaki pitched four seasons with the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball, posting a 29-15 record in 64 starts across 394â…” innings, with a 2.10 ERA, 510 strikeouts and 88 walks.
Since Sasaki isn’t 25 and doesn’t have six years’ experience, he will most likely sign a minor-league contract in the $7.5 million range, which is the top bonus pool international amateurs can receive. If he had waited two years to come over, he could have received a contract similar to Los Angeles Dodgers’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto: 12 years, $325 million.
Joel Wolfe, Sasaki’s agent, told reporters at the MLB winter meetings this past week that after initial pitches, he and his client will begin to hold in-person meetings with interested teams. Wolfe indicated that Sasaki would be willing to sign with a smaller-market team.
Even though the Dodgers and San Diego Padres are believed to be early favorites for Sasaki’s services, one MLB insider reveals there’s an intriguing “dark horse” candidate.
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MLB insider reveals this AL West team could win Roki Sasaki sweepstakes
MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo reports that the Seattle Mariners, who have one of the best rotations in the game, could be a serious contender for Sasaki.
“There’s one other team out west that could be a very intriguing ‘dark horse’ candidate: the Seattle Mariners. They definitely fit the smaller market bill and have a team poised to compete for the American League West crown, with the addition of Sasaki likely to make them clear favorites,” Mayo notes.
If the Mariners are able to sign Sasaki, he would join a rotation filled with budding aces in Logan Gilbert, George Kirby and Bryce Miller. A Sasaki signing could also mean the Mariners would seriously consider moving starter Luis Castillo to fill some offensive needs.
Mayo also mentioned that Mariners legend Ichiro Suzuki “could be a very good salesman” to get Sasaki to come to the Pacific Northwest.
Sasaki, nicknamed “The Monster of the Reiwa Era,” is a special talent who consistently throws in the triple digits. Despite his immense gifts, there is concern about his durability. His career high in innings is just 129â…“, and a torn oblique and right-arm soreness limited him to 18 starts in 2023.
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