The Lotte Marines said Saturday they have decided to post Roki Sasaki, the hardest-throwing pitcher in Japan, for a move to Major League Baseball this offseason. Many clubs are expected to join the sweepstakes for the talented but injury-prone 23-year-old right-hander, who threw a perfect game in April 2022 against the Orix Buffaloes.
Sasaki posted a career-high 10 wins against five losses with a 2.35 ERA in 18 games this year, striking out 129 batters in 111 innings. Lotte’s first-round pick in the 2019 draft has a 29-15 career record with a 2.10 ERA over four seasons with the Marines.
Sasaki did not pitch for the top team in his first year as a pro and has never spent an entire season in the rotation due to physical issues. He pitched on at least six days of rest this year. MLB starters usually have four to five days off between trips to the mound.
In March 2023, Sasaki helped Japan win the World Baseball Classic. Sasaki’s fastball has reached speeds of up to 165 kilometers per hour (102.5 miles per hour). Since Sasaki is under 25, he is defined as an international amateur by MLB and its union. Therefore, MLB and its union will limit him to a minor league contract.
Roki Sasaki Rumors: Potential Timeline For The Posting Decision
One of the biggest questions surrounding Major League Baseball this offseason is what does the future hold for Japanese ace Roki Sasaki. Currently under team control by the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball, there has been speculation Sasaki could make the jump to MLB for the 2025 season. However, there are several complications surrounding that possibility.
At just 23 years old, Sasaki would be subject to MLB’s international signing rules, which would severely limit his contract and likely cost him hundreds of millions. If Sasaki were to wait until he turns 25 or completes six years in the NPB, like Yoshinobu Yamamoto, he would be eligible to sign a contract with any team. Given his high demand in the free agent market, Sasaki could potentially outperform Yamamoto’s Dodgers contract.
Despite the potential money involved in his decision, Sasaki has made it known his goal is to pitch in MLB, and he may want that sooner rather than later. According to international reporter Francys Romero, the Marines could decide whether to post Sasaki as an MLB free agent within the next week.
Every team in MLB would check on Sasaki and make a pitch if he is posted, but the Dodgers are generally favored to sign him. With a $2.5 million remaining international signing bonus pool, the Dodgers have the potential to make the highest offer to Sasaki.
Sadly for the Dodgers and other MLB teams, the Marines may also decide not to post him to keep him within their organization for another season. Sasaki has been receiving some direction from Yamamoto’s agent, Joel Wolfe. Sasaki has previously expressed his fondness for Yamamoto, which may provide insight into his potential decision to sign with Wolfe of Wasserman as his agent.
Japanese Phenom Roki Sasaki Is Going To Be Posted, And Every MLB Team Is Going To Want Him
Roki Sasaki is officially coming to MLB. The Chiba Lotte Marines announced Saturday in Japan that they will post the flame-throwing phenom for a move to the U.S., where he now looms as one of the biggest names of the offseason. In his comments on the decision, the 23-year-old Sasaki expressed his longtime interest in playing in the MLB and gratitude to the Marines for allowing him to pursue that goal:
The team has consistently listened to my future aspirations to pitch in the MLB, and I am deeply appreciative of their decision to post me now. There were many things that didn’t go well during my five years with the club, but I have gotten to this point by focusing solely on baseball with the support of my teammates, staff, front office, and fans at all times.
“I will do my best to climb up from a minor league contract and become the best player in the world, so I have no regrets about my one and only baseball career and can live up to the expectations of everyone who has supported me so far.”
For one major reason, speculation about the move was widespread but not necessarily expected. Because he is younger than 25 years old, Sasaki will not be able to negotiate a high-priced MLB contract like his countryman Yoshinobu Yamamoto did to the tune of $325 million last offseason. Instead, Sasaki will only be able to negotiate a signing bonus out of MLB teams’ international bonus pools, which topped out at a little over $7 million this year.
The bigger question is why the Marines would post Sasaki. NPB teams receive a portion of the money a posted player in MLB earns. Two years from now, when Sasaki is 25 years old, the Marines could have received a sum comparable to the $50.625 million the Orix Buffaloes secured by posting Yamamoto. Instead, they will get a relative pittance.
Who Are Roki Sasaki’s Favorites?
Sasaki’s posting will follow a similar process to Ohtani’s, where every MLB team tries to pitch him, with money being a relatively minor factor. Instead, Sasaki will likely choose his team based on what they can offer him from a development and comfort standpoint.
While the process should be competitive, the Los Angeles Dodgers have consistently been cited as having an advantage over Sasaki should he ever become available. Here is a list of advantages the defending champions have in their pursuit of a promising young Japanese player:
- $2.5 million left in their international bonus pool for 2024, the most of any MLB team.
- Two of Sasaki’s Samurai Japan teammates in Ohtani and Yamamoto
- They have a history of 12 consecutive playoff berths and the most recent World Series title.
- Pitchers have a reputation for superior development and game planning.
- The time zone is ideal for Japanese viewers.
- Ohtani’s untouched fame and past success with the trailblazing Hideo Nomo have led to the largest following of any team in Japan.
- There is the largest Japanese population in the continental United States.
Other MLB teams have Japanese players and/or the promise of competitiveness, but it’s difficult to see any presenting a more natural fit. Then again, Sasaki might not be interested in playing in Ohtani and Yamamoto’s shadow or could have any number of reasons for picking another team.
Why Is Roki Sasaki So hyped?
It’s only part of Sasaki’s appeal that he throws harder than any other starting pitcher. Sasaki is a pitcher who can not just touch but sit above 100 when fully healthy. Stateside baseball fans got to see it when he showed up to the 2023 World Baseball Classic and threw 26 of 29 pitches faster than 100 mph.
That’s one elite pitch for Sasaki. The other is one of the nastiest splitters in the world. Those are the two pitches Sasaki used in the game where many American fans first heard his name: a 19-strikeout perfect game in 2022.
Sasaki also worked on his slider this year with encouraging results, and any MLB team that signs him will likely want him to continue working on developing additional offerings. Despite his internationally elite skills, it’s likely that Sasaki will require some time to develop into a true ace, despite his promising highlight reels. But make no mistake. The MLB offseason just saw the fall of an enormous domino, with another coming once Sasaki makes his choice.
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