One of the most talked about players at this week\u2019s GM Meetings isn\u2019t even a free agent yet and there\u2019s no guarantee that he\u2019ll even be available this offseason, but teams are eagerly waiting to see if Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki will be posted by his NPB club. If he is, then the Cubs should be in the mix to sign the game-changing pitcher according to industry sources.<\/p>\n
The Athletic wrote about Sasaki\u2019s unique situation as the 23-year-old is eyeing a contract with an MLB team and he wants it before the usual posting timeline that has already been agreed upon by both leagues. Sasaki\u2019s current team, the Chiba Lotte Marines, are hoping that their stud starting pitching won\u2019t become a free agent this offseason and as most things in life it goes back to money.<\/p>\n
Via The Athletic.<\/p>\n
Given Sasaki\u2019s age, he would only be eligible to sign a minor-league contract under MLB\u2019s posting rules. That potential deal would be funded through international bonus pool money. Every club\u2019s current allotment is less than $8 million.<\/p>\n
If Sasaki were to be posted this offseason, he\u2019d be looking at a bonus similar to what\u00a0Shohei Ohtani\u00a0received when he faced the same limitations. In 2017, Ohtani chose the\u00a0Los Angeles Angels\u00a0after a fierce recruiting battle, signing for $2.3 million, a fraction of his eventual production and the value he generated for the West Coast franchise.<\/p>\n
The differences between major- and minor-league contracts \u2014 and being 23 or 25 in these cases \u2014 are enormous.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Last year, the Los Angeles Dodgers signed 25-year-old starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a $325 million contract. With that came an additional cost of $50.6 million from the Dodgers to Yamamoto\u2019s NPB team as a posting fee. So yeah, the Chiba Lotte Marines obviously want Sasaki to wait until 2026 to get that giant posting fee. Meanwhile, Sasaki wants to pitch in MLB as soon as possible.<\/p>\n
While the Dodgers remain the favorite to acquire Sasaki, whenever he does become available, the Cubs are mentioned with a few other teams who are viewed as suitors fro the right-handed pitcher.<\/p>\n
Still, the prevailing thought in the industry is that the Dodgers loom as the favorite. Sasaki\u2019s exact preferences, though, are not yet known. The\u00a0New York Mets\u00a0and\u00a0Chicago Cubs\u00a0are among the teams that have heavily scouted him. On Wednesday, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said he traveled to Japan in September to watch Sasaki pitch as a way of expressing a level of interest and respect. And Stearns certainly isn\u2019t the only powerful executive who made that gesture.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0New York Yankees\u00a0and\u00a0San Diego Padres\u00a0are also among the groups that have extensively scouted and signed players from Asia in recent years. And teams would presumably get a chance to make their presentations to Sasaki, trying to sell him on a vision.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
In recent years the Cubs have signed Japanese free agents Seiya Suzuki and Sh\u014dta Imanaga, while Yu Darvish has even helped in recruiting, offering a strong endorsement of the Cubs even after he was traded to the San Diego Padres.<\/p>\n
Also, remember that the Cubs ended up being a finalist for Shohei Ohtani when he first came over to MLB in 2017. If Sasaki does get posted this offseason, then expect the Cubs to be in the mix and have a shot even if the Dodgers are viewed as the overwhelming favorite to sign him.<\/p>\n
\nRoki Sasaki struck out nine over eight scoreless innings in Game 1 against the Fighters. pic.twitter.com\/O5IsZYR5sB<\/p>\n
\u2014 Jason Coskrey (@JCoskrey) October 12, 2024<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Sasaki posted a 2.35 ERA in 111 innings pitched during the 2024 season. He struck out 129 batters, allowed a pair of home runs and recorded a 1.04 WHIP in 18 starts. The righty has a career 2.10 ERA in 394.2 innings in Japan.<\/p>\n
With a 100 mph fastball and a devastating splitter, Sasaki profiles as a potential top-of-the-rotation starter. \u201cHe reminds me of\u00a0Jacob deGrom,\u201d one industry source said. \u201cHe\u2019d develop into a No. 1.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf he was someone in the amateur draft,\u201d one high-ranking executive said, \u201che\u2019d easily be a top-five draft pick, probably better.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Fans will find out by Dec. 15, at the very latest if Sasaki gets posted or not. That\u2019s the final date the NPB sets for any player who is posted by their club in Japan. From then, the player has a 45-day negotiating window to sign with an MLB team.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Chicago Cubs should be in the mix for 23-year-old pitching phenom Roki Sasaki, but can they steal him away from the Dodgers?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":5720,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5719","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\n
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