Boston, in the most rudimentary sense of the word, still has a chance.
Sasaki, 23, will soon make the move to Major League Baseball after four incredible seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball — where he compiled a 29-15 record with a 2.10 ERA while averaging 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings.
He will be an international amateur free agent under baseball’s rules, which means teams must bid on his services using their international bonus pool money. The Los Angeles Dodgers have been viewed as the favorite to sign the phenom, as their recent success with Japanese standouts Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto could be a major selling point in a situation where money likely won’t be a factor.
The Athletic’s Jim Bowden sees the Red Sox as a real fit, so let’s explore the reasons why both sides could be interested in a union:
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CONTROLLED COST
Sasaki’s insistence on joining MLB in 2025 is rather perplexing, as he’s essentially leaving a boatload of money on the table by doing so.
Sasaki is subject to international bonus pool money restrictions, as he’s under 25 and has fewer than six seasons of service time in a foreign league recognized by MLB — which has set the largest bonus pools at around $7.5 million. The Red Sox, much like most other teams, have committed the majority, if not all, of their money to players in nonbinding deals, so there’s no real financial incentive for him to sign with one team more than another.
Boston would only need to dish out a limited signing bonus before he would be subject to arbitration over the next few years. It’s a no-brainer.
LENGTHENING THE WINDOW
The Red Sox already have an insane amount of young talent in the system, ranging from prospects still yet to make the majors (Roman Anthony, Kyle Teel, Marcelo Mayer, Kristian Campbell) to controlled youngsters with big-league experience (Wilyer Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela, Brayan Bello, Triston Casas).
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How many of those guys is a pitcher?
Sasaki could join Bello as an immediate contributor in the rotation, and his status as a true front-end guy would help others fall into place. Boston could essentially finish setting up its future with one signing.
REESTABLISHING IDENTITY
Do you remember when Boston was a destination?
Why can’t it be that way again?
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The Red Sox could do themselves a major favor by spending this offseason, as a potential mega-deal with outfielder Juan Soto, or a starting pitcher like Max Fried, Blake Snell or Corbin Burnes would go a long way in convincing someone who doesn’t see money as a motivating factor (Sasaki) to join and potentially win a couple of championships.
