Roki Sasaki he won’t be eligible to officially sign with the MLB organization until mid-January, but that didn’t stop him from making headlines in December. Last week, it was reported that the NPB phenom met with at least three MLB teams: the Yankees, Mets, and Cubs. Today, Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young confirmed that he did not represent his club with Sasaki last week (via Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News). Meanwhile, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that the Giants are “believed to have met” with Sasaki and his representatives.
It’s no surprise that both teams are interested in Sasaki. The Giants could use more starting pitching, and are likely to add at least one starter this offseason, whether it’s Sasaki or someone else. On the other hand, the Rangers already have a full rotation, but regardless, Sasaki is the type of player that any team would take a chance on. The two-time NPB All-Star is widely regarded as one of the most promising pitchers in the world, and his earning potential is tied to the rules of international free agency. Right now, Texas can’t pay him more than a $6,261,600 bonus, while San Francisco can give him more than a $5,146,200 bonus.
The Rangers have had their eye on Sasaki. At the start of the 2024 season, they were one of eight teams reported to have sent representatives to watch Sasaki pitch in Japan. One can also understand why Sasaki would want to join their club. Not only did the Rangers just win the World Series, but they have been one of the most active teams this offseason in both the trade and free agent markets. In addition, Sasaki’s agent Joel Wolfe recently said that Sasaki grew up “worshipping” a number of Japanese pitchers who moved from the NPB to the MLB. The first example named by Wolfe was Yu Darvishwho signed with the Rangers when he first arrived stateside in 2012. Evan Grant points out that the front office executives who were “key” to the Darvish signing, assistant general manager Josh Boyd and Director of Pacific Rim Operations Joe Furukawa, are still on the job. in the organization.
As for the Giants, POBO Buster Posey has been very vocal about his interest in Sasaki. Speaking at the Winter Meetings, he told reporters (including MLB.com’s Maria Guardado), “We would be over the moon to add a guy like that.” Although Posey is only talking about Sasaki’s talent, one has to assume that he was also attracted by the price tag. The Giants have been heavily linked to the free agent Corbin Burns this winter. But Burnes is looking to sign a contract worth more than $200MM. According to Susan Slusser, there are questions about whether or not ownership will be willing to foot that bill. In Sasaki, the Giants could add a top rotation starter for a fraction of the market price.
In Sasaki’s opinion, it is important to note that San Francisco is much closer to Japan (and has a larger Japanese population) than New York, Chicago, or Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington. Neither Sasaki nor Wolfe suggested that the pitcher choose a place to sign, but Giants general manager Zack Minasian expressed hope that San Francisco’s proximity to Japan will make “a big difference” (according to Guardado). Minasian also mentioned the pitcher-friendly confines of Oracle Park as a possible location. After all, Sasaki is used to throwing in a very different offensive environment – running is difficult to get to NPB. In addition, you probably want to put in as many impressive numbers as possible. Six years in the future, those numbers will help him make big money as an unrestricted free agent.
In the end, we still know very little about Sasaki’s thinking or where he might end up. The Dodgers and, to a lesser extent, the Padres are often cited as the frontrunners to sign him, but it’s not for nothing that he has met with many other teams. (And it’s unclear if he’s met with the Dodgers or Padres yet.) Slusser points to the Diamondbacks as another NL West suitor for his services, though it’s unclear if he’s met with anyone on the team. Meanwhile, the Phillies are the only club we know for sure that has it not he met Sasaki. Last week, POBO Dave Dombrowski revealed that although the Phillies would like to talk to Sasaki, they were not invited.
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