Roki Sasaki has 26 days before he has to sign with an MLB team or return to Japan. His list of potential destinations is starting to take shape.
The Los Angeles Dodgers, long considered Sasaki’s favorites, on Saturday became the sixth MLB team confirmed to have faced the flamethrower phenomenon, according to Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. The other five teams:
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Texas Rangers
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New York Yankees
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New York Mets
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Chicago Cubs
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San Francisco Giants
Sasaki was officially released by his NPB team, the Chiba Lotte Marines, on December 9.triggering a 45-day window during which he can negotiate with each MLB team and sign a contract. That window ends on January 23, but it should be noted that he cannot officially sign with a team until the international amateur signing period begins on January 15.
According to Plunkett, Sasaki is expected to narrow down the number of suitors and hold another round of meetings in 2025. Sasaki’s agent, Joel Wolfe, said at the winter meetings earlier this month that more than 20 teams had expressed interest , and the only surprise he didn’t say that all 30 teams had expressed interest.
MLB rules prevent Sasaki from landing a contract anywhere near the $325 million contract his compatriot Yoshinobu Yamamoto landed last offseason, because his 23 years force him into the same international bonus system used to sign Dominican teenagers. So whichever team lands Sasaki will receive a nine-figure discount, one of the best deals in baseball history.
Although each team’s wealth is a much smaller factor in Sasaki’s free agency, one cannot ignore that the six teams above were among the top 10 salaries in MLB last year. By Jon Heyman of the New York PostThe San Diego Padres are also considered secondary favorites after the Dodgers. It hasn’t been reported that they’ve met Sasaki, but that doesn’t mean they won’t.
Throughout this process, Sasaki’s motivations remained mysterious. If he values media exposure, a history of developing pitchers, playing in a Japanese-friendly market with Japanese teammates and a promise of team success, the Dodgers are a natural choice. If he wants to play with Yu Darvish, known as his mentor, and have the chance to become a team’s singular ace, it could be the Padres. If he wants to play in a smaller market with less media attention, who knows?
Even Wolfe pleaded ignorance about the preferences that motivate Sasakiprobably to avoid reaching out to his client. However, MLB teams will certainly have a better idea in less than a month.
