Here’s the latest buzz around the Japanese free agent right-hander Roki Sasakiwho is expected to sign with an MLB team in January…
December 24, 3:30 p.m.
Rangers met with Sasaki last week, general manager Chris Young told reporters Monday.
As is the case with the Mets, the Rangers’ rotation appears to be pretty much settled after bringing in the right-hander Nathan Eovaldi back on a three-year deal this offseason, but the 23-year-old has upside and potential that any team would be willing to make room for.
Texas was one of eight teams that traveled to Japan for one of Sasaki’s starts earlier this year.
The Giants are also reportedly among the teams that have met with the right-hander, according to a report from San Francisco Chronicle.
Other clubs will likely join the mix after the holidays, as Sasaki won’t be able to sign until January 15.
December 20, 7:55 p.m.
The Yankees have officially met with Sasaki, according to Jon Heyman of The Post. In fact, the Yankees pitched against Sasaki on the same day as the Mets.
SNY’s Andy Martino reported that the Mets met with Sasaki in Los Angeles on Thursday and the Yankees also reportedly met with the Japanese star in California. Details of the two meetings remain unclear, but that brings to three the number of teams known to meet with Sasaki: the Mets, Yankees and Cubs, who reportedly met with him Friday.
The Dodgers and Padres are two teams that have secured a meeting with Sasaki, but it’s unclear if those discussions have ever happened. On Friday, Phillies general manager Dave Dombrowski confirmed his team’s interest in the right-hander, but revealed they were not invited at this time.
Sasaki will not be able to sign with a club until January 15.
December 20, 6:15 p.m.
As the teams begin to meet and introduce themselves to Sasaki, it appears one contending club is on the outside looking in.
Phillies general manager Dave Dombrowski spoke to the media, including MLB’s Paul CasellaFriday and was asked about the organization’s current offseason plans. Dombrowski revealed that the team is probably done with “impactful” signings and added this on Sasaki:
“We have not been invited to speak to him at this stage,” he said. “We sent in our original information. They know we would love to have a presentation, but we haven’t been invited to the table.”
So far, the Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, Padres and Cubs have all been linked to the Japanese star and have met or plan to meet with Sasaki and his camp.
December 20, 3:30 p.m.
Just a day after meeting with the Mets, Sasaki also has a meeting scheduled with the Chicago Cubs, according to Bruce Levine from 670thescore.com.
The two sides meet Friday in Los Angeles, where all meetings are taking place.
Sasaki’s signing window officially opened nine days ago during the Winter Meetings and closes on January 23, but it seems likely he won’t decide on his new club until after the New Year.
The Mets and Cubs are the first two teams known to have held in-person meetings with the Japanese star, but there are certainly many others, including the Yankees, Dodgers and Padres.
December 19, 6:49 p.m.
A day after the Yankees revealed they were planning an in-person meeting with Sasaki, the Mets held a meeting with the right-hander on Thursday, SNY MLB Insider Andy Martino Reported.
The in-person meeting took place in Los Angeles, according to the New York Post, making the Mets the first known team to arrange such a visit with the free agent.
The signing window opened for the Japanese star nine days ago and closes on January 23, and it seems likely he won’t make his decision until after the New Year and won’t be able to sign until January 15 .
Sasaki can only be signed using money from a team’s international bonus pool, which ranges from approximately $5 million to $7.5 million. The Mets and Yankees have the same amount (just under $6.3 million), but fitness and other factors appear to be a bigger factor for the 23-year-old. This is good news for New York, which has verbally committed to $5 million for 17-year-old shortstop prospect Elian Peña. The Mets can add more money in a trade.
December 18, 1:54 p.m.
Yankees have in-person meeting scheduled with GM Sasaki Brian Cashman told reporters.
Sasaki is expected to spend the holidays in Japan before returning to the United States before choosing a team.
He will sign between January 15 and 23, when his negotiating window closes.
If the Yankees land Sasaki, it stands to reason that they will use a six-man rotation.
New York’s current rotation includes Gerrit Cole, Max Frit, Carlos Rodon, Luis GilAnd Clarke Schmidt.
December 12, 4:53 p.m.
Mets President of Baseball Operations David Stearns said the club had prepared a presentation to present to Sasaki.
“What I can say is he’s a really talented pitcher. Whoever gets him is going to have a very talented young pitcher in the future,” Stearns said. “We’re definitely going to do our best. It’s very difficult in these processes to really understand what a player’s preferences are. It’s not a normal free agent recruiting process. So we’re going to submit our presentations and our equipment like everyone else and we will wait for feedback from his camp.
When asked if Sasaki potentially didn’t want to be in a market like New York, Stearns said, “We haven’t received that feedback yet.”
“We’re highlighting a variety of different things,” Stearns said of the club’s planned presentation to Sasaki. “The first is who we are as an organization, what we believe in, what we think maybe makes us a little bit unique compared to other teams that he might consider. We highlight the different services that we can provide to a player We highlight our familiarity with a Japanese starter’s transition to the major league schedule We highlight our pitching device, our health device, our nutrition device. we want him to know that we have the resources and that we have the ability to make this transition as smooth as possible.”
December 10, 12:03 p.m.
The Mets and Padres are considered Sasaki’s “early favorites”, reports Jim Bowden of The Athletic.
According to Bowden, the three things that could influence Sasaki’s decision are his ability to garner support, his desire to win and his desire to join a club focused on pitcher development.
The Mets can offer all three of those things, and their pitching coach could end up being a determining factor in Sasaki’s arrival.
“I know that the Wasserman group, which represents him, is very high up Jeremy Hefnerand that has some influence here,” Bowden said.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan recently noted that the Mets are one of a handful of teams that should be big players for Sasaki.
December 9, 10:47 a.m.
Sasaki will return to MLB for the 2025 season.
The 23-year-old flamethrower was posted by the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball.
His signing window opens on December 10 and closes on January 23.
The Mets and Yankees have been linked to Sasaki. And while buzz has linked him to the Dodgers, recent reports have indicated that him potentially signing with Los Angeles isn’t a sure thing.
Besides the Mets, Yankees and Dodgers, the Padres are considered one of the top threats in the Sasaki sweepstakes.
Since Sasaki is assigned during the 2024-25 offseason and before his 25th birthday, he will be considered an international amateur free agent and can only sign a minor league contract. MLB rules do not allow players under the age of 25 and with fewer than six professional seasons to sign anything other than a minor league deal. His agreement would count towards the allocation of his signing team’s international bonus pool.
Sasaki had a 2.35 ERA, 129 strikeouts and just 32 walks in 111 innings and 18 starts last season. However, he missed time with a torn oblique and soreness in his right arm. During four seasons in NPB, Sasaki had a 2.10 ERA, 505 strikeouts and 88 walks in 64 starts over 394.2 innings.
