Here’s the latest buzz surrounding the right-handed Japanese free agent Roki Sasakiwho is expected to sign with an MLB team in January…
December 19, 6:49 PM
A day after the Yankees revealed plans to meet face-to-face with Sasaki, the Mets held a meeting with the right-hander on Thursday. SNY MLB insider Andy Martino reported this.
The signing window for the Japanese star opened nine days ago and closes on January 23, and it seems likely he won’t decide until after the New Year.
Sasaki had a 2.35 ERA last season, 129 strikeouts and just 32 walks in 111 innings and 18 starts. However, he missed some time due to a torn oblique and right arm soreness. Over four seasons in the NPB, Sasaki had a 2.10 ERA, 505 strikeouts and 88 walks in 64 starts in 394.2 innings pitched.
December 18, 1:54 PM
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 before choosing a team.
He will sign between January 15 and 23, when his negotiating window closes.
If the Yanks land Sasaki, it stands to reason that they will use a six-man rotation.
New York’s current rotation consists of Gerrit Kool, Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, Luis GilAnd Clarke Schmidt.
December 12, 4:53 PM
Mets president of baseball operations David Sterns said the club has prepared a presentation to pitch to Sasaki.
“What I can say is he’s a very talented pitcher. Whoever gets him is going to have a very talented young pitcher in the future,” Stearns said. “We’re certainly going to do our best. It’s very difficult in these processes to really understand what a player’s preference is. This is not a normal free agent recruitment process. So we’re going to submit our presentations and our materials just like everyone else and we waiting for feedback from his camp.
When asked about Sasaki possibly not wanting to operate in a market like New York, Stearns said, “We haven’t gotten 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 might make us a little bit unique compared to other teams he might be considering. We emphasize the different services we can offer a player. We emphasize our prominence with the transition from a Japanese starter to the Major League schedule. We emphasize our pitching apparatus, our health apparatus and our nutritional apparatus. We want him to know that we have the resources and that we have the ability to make this transition as smooth as possible expired. “
December 10, 12:03 pm
The Mets and Padres are considered the “early favorites” for Sasaki, reports Jim Bowden of The Athletic.
According to Bowden, the three things that could influence Sasaki’s decision are his ability to drum up support, 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 ultimately be a determining factor in landing Sasaki.
“I know that the Wasserman Group, which represents him, holds it in very high regard Jeremy Hefnerand that has some impact 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 9, 10:47 am
Sasaki is coming to the MLB for the 2025 season.
The 23-year-old flamethrower was signed by the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball.
His signing window opens on December 10 and closes on January 23.
Both the Mets and Yankees have been linked to Sasaki. And while rumors have tied him to the Dodgers, recent reports have indicated that he could sign with Los Angeles isn’t a sure thing just yet.
Alongside the Mets, Yankees and Dodgers, the Padres are seen as one of the top threats in the Sasaki sweepstakes.
Since Sasaki is drafted during 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 the age of 25 and with fewer than six professional seasons to sign anything other than a minor league deal. His deal would count towards his signing team’s international bonus pool allocation.
