The sweepstakes for Roki Sasaki is set to be an exciting one, with all 30 teams giving it a fair chance to secure him for the next two years. Because of his age, the 23-year-old Japanese pitcher must be signed within the international bonus pool, which clubs are limited to a certain amount.
On Friday’s episode of the “Baltimore Banner” podcast, Japan Baseball Organization analyst Yuri Kurasawa said that if Sasaki were subject to the same free agency rules as other players over the age of 25, he would be worth more than $300 million. , he said it might reach $400 million.
“A player of his caliber is worth more than $300 million,” Kawamura said (36:20). “If he was on the open market right now with no restrictions, he’d probably be a $400 million pitcher, to be honest with you. But he wouldn’t go that far, really. That’s a problem because he’s going to make millions of dollars.”It’s an absolute steal for any team. ”
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The Japanese sportscaster added that Sasaki’s decision will not be limited by financial considerations, so he will choose a club that suits his pitching style and where he can develop.
“His decision is completely dependent on the comfort of the geographic location, selling development confidence in the organization, and having nothing to do with money at this point,” Kawamura said. “Given that certain teams have more money available in bonus pools, I don’t think a few hundred will influence his decision in any way.”
Aki Sasaki prefers the West Coast and is likely to sign with the Dodgers or Padres.
MLB official Jon Heyman said Friday that like other Japanese players, Roki Sasaki may prefer the West Coast, and his decision could span two teams. The Los Angeles Dodgers have been scouting him for years and were already among the frontrunners to sign him, but their division rivals, the San Diego Padres, have also emerged as a candidate.
Both teams have Japanese stars. Los Angeles has Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who were Sasaki’s teammates in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. On the San Diego side, Yu Darvish will likely convince Sasaki to join the Padres.
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Edited by Victor Ramon Galvez
