The bulk of the Major League offseason is over with, but there are still plenty of notable free agents available. Included in that group is Roki Sasaki, who is expected to sign with a team at some point after the 2025 international signing period opens Jan. 15.
According to reports, more than 20 teams submitted proposals to Sasaki and his representation. To this point, the New York Mets, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers are believed have met with Sasaki and his agent Joel Wolfe at a Wasserman office.
That was followed by Sasaki returning to Japan to speak with family and friends about his next steps for this month.
While Sasaki’s signing bonus is going to be limited under MLB international amateur guidelines, Wolfe noted the 23-year-old is more focused on establishing himself as one of the best pitchers, per Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
“Roki is by no means a finished product. He knows it and the teams know it. He is incredibly talented. We all know that,” Wolfe said Monday, offering a limited update on Sasaki’s signing process. “But he is a guy that wants to be great. He’s not coming here to be rich or to get a huge contract. He wants to be great. He wants to be one of the greatest ever. I see that now and he has articulated it.
“To be that he knows he has to challenge himself. … I’m not speaking for Roki. I’m speaking my own opinion that in order to take it to another level he (realized he) had to come here and play against the best players every day and tap into all the resources that major league teams have to help him become one of the best pitchers not just to come out of NPB but in Major League Baseball. That’s what he wants. That’s why he came.”
Sasaki boasts a strong profile for his age, which is the main driver for the interest among MLB teams. In his four-year career in Nippon Professional Baseball, he had a 2.10 ERA and 505 strikeouts in 394.2 innings pitched.
He carries a power pitch mix that includes a four-seam fastball, splitter and slider. Sasaki creates a strong tunnel effect with his fastball and splitter, to which many expect to be among the best in MLB at an early stage.
Dodgers odds to sign Roki Sasaki
The Dodgers have many key points that make them a desirable destination. One being the six-man rotation they’re locked into for 2025, in addition to a top player development system that will boost Sasaki’s already-elite stuff.
But the pedigree and history of Japanese players joining the Dodgers is deep, and the influence that may have on Sasaki’s stance on where he wants to be. The defending World Series champs are the odds-on favorites to sign him in the eyes of many Major League executives.
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