If Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman was jet-lagged from his most recent trip to Japan, he hid it well during a press conference at Dodger Stadium on Thursday.
“How was Roki?” one reporter asked
“Pitched well,” was Friedman’s concise reply.
The secret has been out for months: the most coveted pitcher on the free agent market this winter might not reside in North America. If 22-year-old right-hander Roki Sasaki is allowed to leave Japan by his current team, the Chiba Lotte Marines, he is sure to fetch more demand than any domestic free-agent pitcher in Major League Baseball.
There might be no better proof of the demand for Sasaki’s services than the recent deluge of scouting trips made by top MLB executives.
As noted by Francys Romero, Friedman’s trip across the Pacific was just one of many in recent weeks. The New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, and Arizona Diamondbacks all sent emissaries to Japan to see Sasaki in person since September.
Roki Sasaki’s status will be known after Chiba Lotte Marines finish in NPB playoffs.
Top executives from Mets, Red Sox, Dbacks were in Japan in September. Andrew Friedman (LA) was just last week.
Many MLB teams don’t expect Sasaki to be posted this year.
— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) October 4, 2024
The Marines are just now wrapping up their regular season, along with the rest of Nippon Professional Baseball. Sasaki allowed one run in a complete-game effort Tuesday as the Marines clinched the Pacific League’s final playoff spot. The deeper the Marines play into the NPB postseason, the longer MLB and its fans must wait to learn whether Sasaki will come overseas.
The effort marked Sasaki’s first complete game in two years, as he has struggled for much of the 2024 season. He didn’t pitch for nearly two months at midseason because of arm troubles, limiting him to 18 games and 111 innings.
MIAMI, FLORIDA – MARCH 20: Roki Sasaki #14 of Team Japan walks to the dugout at the end of the first inning against Team Mexico during the World Baseball Classic Semifinals at loanDepot park on…
MIAMI, FLORIDA – MARCH 20: Roki Sasaki #14 of Team Japan walks to the dugout at the end of the first inning against Team Mexico during the World Baseball Classic Semifinals at loanDepot park on March 20, 2023 in Miami, Florida. Sasaki has been scouted by top executives from four MLB teams in recent weeks.
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But he finished the regular season on a 4-1 tear, including a game against the Pacific League champion Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in which he threw seven scoreless innings for the win.
Major league teams are unlikely to forget Sasaki’s performance for the Japanese team at the 2023 World Baseball Classic. In that tournament, facing some major league hitters, Sasaki posted a 3.52 ERA and 11 strikeouts across 7.2 innings. His fastball topped out at 102 mph and averaged 100.5.
Although Sasaki has stated his intent to pitch in MLB, the Marines are under no obligation to allow him to come this year. Under the posting agreement between MLB and NPB, a player under the age of 25 is considered amateurs and are subject to bonus pool restrictions. Sasaki would technically only be allowed to sign a minor league contract if he is posted after this season.
Shohei Ohtani did the same in 2017 and signed an amateur contract with the Los Angeles Angels before he was formally selected to their major league roster prior to the season. Six years later, Ohtani signed a record 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Sasaki is hoping to follow the same path. And at least four teams are eager to show him the way.