by Here’s the latest story surrounding the Japanese free agent right-hander Roki Sasakiwho is expected to sign with an MLB team in January…
December 19, 6:49 p.m
A day after the Yankees announced they had plans to meet with Sasaki in person, the Mets held a meeting with the right-hander on Thursday. SNY MLB Insider Andy Martino reported.
The contract window for the Japanese star opened nine days ago and ends on January 23, and it is likely he will not make a decision until after the New Year.
Sasaki had a 2.35 ERA, 129 strikeouts and just 32 walks in 111 innings and 18 starts last season. However, he missed some time due to an oblique tear and pain in his right arm. In four seasons in NPB, Sasaki had a 2.10 ERA, 505 strikeouts and 88 walks in 64 starts over 394.2 innings.
December 18, 1:54 p.m
The Yankees have scheduled an in-person meeting with Sasaki, GM Brian Cashman told reporters.
Sasaki is expected to spend the holidays in Japan before returning to the United States to decide on a team.
He will sign between January 15th and 23rd, when his negotiating window ends.
If the Americans sign Sasaki, it stands to reason that they will use a six-man rotation.
New York’s current rotation consists of Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, Luis GilAnd Clarke Smith.
December 12, 4:53 p.m
Mets President of Baseball Operations David Stearns said the club had prepared a presentation to introduce Sasaki.
“What I can say is he’s a really talented pitcher. Whoever gets him will have a very talented young pitcher in the future,” Stearns said. “We will definitely do our best. With these processes, it is very difficult to truly understand a player’s preferences. This is not a normal free agent recruiting process. So we will submit our presentations and we will use our materials just like everyone else and wait for feedback from his camp.”
Asked whether Sasaki might not want to operate 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 makes us maybe a little bit unique compared to other teams he might be considering. We highlight the different services we can offer a player. We highlight our familiarity with the transition of a Japanese starter to the major league schedule. We emphasize our pitching apparatus, our health apparatus, our nutritional apparatus. We want him to know that we have the resources and ability to make this transition as smooth as possible. “
Dec. 10, 12:03 p.m
The Mets and Padres are considered “early favorites” for Sasaki, Jim Bowden of The Athletic reports.
Per Bowden, the three things that could influence Sasaki’s decision are his ability to attract endorsements, his desire to win and his desire to join a club that focuses on pitching development.
The Mets can provide all three of those things, and their pitching coach could end up being a deciding factor in signing Sasaki.
“I know that the Wasserman Group, which represents him, is very highly regarded Jeremy Hefnerand that has some influence here,” Bowden said.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan recently noted that the Mets are among a handful of teams expected to be key players for Sasaki.
December 9th, 10:47 am
Sasaki will come to the MLB for the 2025 season.
The 23-year-old flamethrower was drafted by Nippon Professional Baseball’s Chiba Lotte Marines.
His signing window opens December 10th and closes January 23rd.
Both the Mets and Yankees have been linked to Sasaki. And while the rumors have him tied to the Dodgers, recent reports suggest it’s not nearly certain he could sign with Los Angeles.
Along with the Mets, Yankees and Dodgers, the Padres are considered one of the biggest threats in the Sasaki sweepstakes.
Because Sasaki will be deployed in the 2024-25 offseason and before his 25th birthday, he is considered an international amateur free agent and can only sign a minor league contract. MLB rules do not allow players under 25 and with fewer than six professional seasons to sign anything other than a minor league contract. His deal would count towards his contracted team’s international bonus pool.
