Roki

Sasaki

Sasaki cited his previous experience with the media in Japan as a reason for a softer landing spot for the 23-year-old. The Dodgers have widely been considered the overwhelming favorite to land the right-hander, but the Dodgers are anything but a small-to-mid market team. It’s been widely reported that the Mariners and Padres are expected to make a big push for Sasaki, and both teams would qualify in that regard. Wolfe didn’t rule out a big team either, and it’d be foolish to eliminate any team from bidding at this point.

“We should be very legitimate contenders,” Shildt added before expressing confidence that Sasaki will ultimately wind up being a Padre. The 23-year-old prodigy was officially posted at the outset of the Winter Meetings and has until January 23 to reach an agreement with a major-league club. He’s universally-regarded as one of the most promising international pitching prospects in recent decades with both the Padres and Dodgers seen as the favorites to sign him. He’s limited to signing as an international free agent due to his age, so it’s likely going to come down to long-term organizational fit more than financial reasons. Regardless of where he winds up, he projects to make some serious noise for fantasy managers as early as next year.

All MLB teams can begin negotiating with the 23-year-old Japanese phenom beginning on Tuesday and that negotiating window will last until 5 p.m. ET on January 23rd. However, we do know that Sasaki also intends to sign after January 15th, so that he can count towards the 2025 international amateur signing period and earn more money on his initial contract. As of now, the Dodgers and Padres remain the clear favorites for Sasaki’s services, but other teams will have a month to try to convince him otherwise.

Sasaki’s 45-day posting window has been delayed because of the plan to have him sign after Jan. 15, when the new year’s international signing period starts. That way he’ll be able to maximize the greatly reduced contract MLB will force him to take as an international player under the age of 25. The Dodgers and Padres are being talked up as the favorites to sign the right-hander.

Many believe the Dodgers to be the favorite for Sasaki, but the Padres are very much in the mix according to Romero. The 23-year-old is expected to sign with a new team shortly after January 15, and he’s widely considered one of the top arms available. Be it the Dodgers, Padres or a surprise club; Sasaki is a player fantasy managers should covet for 2025 and beyond.

“It looks like (the signing) will happen in the new pool period,” added Manfred. It’s the most logical route for all sides and confirms previous assumptions that Sasaki won’t be able to sign with a major-league team until January 15. It’s worth noting the Yankees and Mets both have $6.26 million worth of international bonus pool money to spend, while the Rays and Mariners are among the teams with the most at $7.55 million. The Dodgers and Giants have the smallest pool at $5.15 million. The 23-year-old phenom is one of the most exciting international pitching prospects in decades and figures to make an immediate impact for fantasy managers.

The actual timing of the move will likely be delayed, allowing Sasaki to be signed during the 2025 international period after Jan. 15. After all, the vast majority of those limited 2024 dollars have already been spent. Because he’s just 23 and MLB doesn’t want teams paying youngsters what they’re worth, Sasaki will have to sign a minor league deal, probably capped out at $6 million or so, instead of the $200 million or even $300 million he’d surely command as an actual free agent. The hard-throwing righty went 30-15 with a 2.02 ERA and a 524/91 K/BB over 414 2/3 innings in his four seasons with the Marines. That he’s had some injury issues is a concern, and his stuff last season wasn’t as good as it was previously. Still, he’s one of the world’s most talented pitchers.

Matsumoto mentioned that the team and Sasaki have repeatedly talked about Sasaki potentially being posted for MLB teams this offseason. “We have been talking about it every year since he joined the team.” The 22-year-old Sasaki is considered one of the most gifted pitchers in the world and would set off a bidding war similar to what we saw for Yoshinobu Yamamoto last offseason. However, even though there is a chance that Sasaki will be posted for MLB teams this offseason, it’s not a given. “We talk about it every year,” said Matsumoto. “He has a dream. I want to move forward by taking one thing at a time.”

Sasaki, 22, is widely considered one of the most talented pitchers in the world. Passan reports that the relationship between Sasaki and the Marines has become fractured after they didn’t honor his request last offseason, but that it’s just as possible — maybe even likely — that he’ll not be available again this winter. If Sasaki is posted, there will be numerous suiters for the right-hander, as he has the stuff to potentially pitch at the top of a rotation as soon as 2025.

Sasaki is one of the best pitchers on the planet, and the 22-year-old has registered a 1.78 ERA over 91 innings of work with the Chiba Lotte Marines of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball in 2024. The right-hander will be one of the most sought after players on the market, and assuming he does get posted this winter, he’ll be someone who becomes fantasy relevant immediately in 2025.