REPORT: Roki Sasaki set to take next step in free agency process with Mets, Yankees’ standing uncertain

Other free agent pitchers will get much bigger contracts this offseason, but none come with the intrigue of Japanese right-hander Roki Sasaki.

The 23-year-old was posted last week and is expected to sign during the early part of next year’s international free agent period, since he was posted Dec. 9 and has to finalize a deal by the end of the 45-day window, which is Jan. 23.

With in-person meetings expected to begin with prospective teams as soon as this week, there remains considerable uncertainty regarding where Sasaki will end up.

Roki Sasaki set to take next step in free agency process with Mets, Yankees’ standing uncertain
Roki Sasaki of Japan pitches during their Pool B game against the Czech Republic at the World Baseball Classic at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, on March 11, 2023. AP

Throughout his lead-up to free agency, the Dodgers were considered the most likely landing spot.

More recently — and since his agent Joel Wolfe’s comments last week at the Winter Meetings, in which he said “I think there’s an argument to be made that a small- or midmarket team might be more beneficial for him as a soft landing coming from Japan” — that thinking has changed.

The Padres are now seen as a real threat for Sasaki, but that hasn’t stopped the Yankees, Mets — and of course, the Dodgers — from making their pitch for a player who figures to be on a path similar to Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who signed a $325 million deal with the Dodgers last offseason.

Because he’s only 23, Sasaki is limited to signing a contract that does not exceed a team’s MLB-allotted bonus pool, which currently tops out at around $7.5 million.

Roki Sasaki set to take next step in free agency process with Mets, Yankees’ standing uncertain
Joel Wolfe, agent for Roki Sasaki, speaks with the media at Hilton Anatole during the winter meetings Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

All of those factors have left observers believing the Yankees, as well as the Mets, could be underdogs when it comes to landing Sasaki.

But other executives say it’s all a guessing game until they have face-to-face meetings with Sasaki, who, as Wolfe noted, has dealt with shoulder injuries, as well as a strained oblique, in the past.

Still, Yankees GM Brian Cashman said last week Sasaki’s “intent is to be one of the game’s greatest pitchers on the planet, and we certainly would love to participate in allowing that to happen.”

They could sell Sasaki on their history with Masahiro Tanaka and Hideki Matsui.

Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns, who has Kodai Senga in the rotation, added the Mets would “give it our best shot. It’s very difficult in these processes to truly understand what a player’s preference is.”

And the other behemoth lurking is the Dodgers, with Shohei Ohtani and Yamamoto already on their roster.

Andrew Friedman, Los Angeles president of baseball operations, added last week that Sasaki was “a major priority” for the reigning World Series champions.

“This isn’t something you can practice for,” another executive said. “You just have to hope for the best.”

Related Posts

White Sox place All-Star rookie right-hander Shane Smith on IL with…

PITTSBURGH (AP) – White Sox rookie Shane Smith was placed on the 15-day injured list with a sprained left ankle on Saturday, four days after the right-hander…

Braves Shockingly Predicted To Cut Ties With $73 Million Gold Glove Star

The Atlanta Braves are one of the worst teams in baseball this season, and it could result in them aggressively selling at the trade deadline.

Aroldis Chapman ‘Surprise’ to be Traded With Red Sox’s Resurgence

The Boston Red Sox’s hot streak before the All-Star break may have just prevented them from trading All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman at the trade deadline.

Yankees Expected to Land Cardinals Infielder

The New York Yankees are predicted to be big-time buyers at the trade deadline yet again. They’re looking for a variety of positions, including another starting

The Trade that Would Give the Cubs the Best Offense in the MLB

The Chicago Cubs are one of the top suitors to trade for Eugenio Suárez. He would make Chicago’s offense the best in the MLB.

Aѕtroѕ Meet Fіrѕt-Round Pіck Xаvіer Neyenѕ Durіng Pre-Gаme Workout

The Houston Astros are in Seattle to play a three-game series with the Mariners. On Sunday, Houston will conduct some post-draft business.