The Boston Red Sox have undertaken significant efforts to enhance their pitching roster this offseason, executing a major trade for Garrett Crochet with the Chicago White Sox and signing previous Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler to a one-year, $21.05 million contract. Nevertheless, the franchise is eager to secure 23-year-old Japanese right-handed pitcher Roki Sasaki as well. The challenge lies in the fact that all 30 franchises would be glad to acquire him, and the Red Sox reportedly do not have any meeting arranged with the pitcher at this moment.
“Currently, we do not [have a meeting arranged]. However, I can’t say that there’s any finality to that,” stated Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, as noted by Alex Speier of The Boston Globe. “We’ve clearly been involved and would embrace the chance to take part in the process, and we hope that we will get the opportunity to do so.”
It has been verified that Sasaki has engaged in discussions with at least a few teams, including the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, and Texas Rangers among that selection. It remains uncertain how many teams he will engage with, but it is anticipated that he will commit to a team between the commencement of the 2025 international signing period (Jan. 15) and the conclusion of his 45-day posting period (Jan. 23). Teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres are perceived as frontrunners to acquire him, although no one genuinely knows what his preferences are.
What drives the Red Sox and other teams to desperately want to sign Roki Sasaki?
Sasaki is an exceptionally dominant pitcher who delivers fastballs in the upper-90s, accompanied by a slider and splitter. Throughout his tenure in Japan, he achieved a 30-15 record with a 2.02 ERA, accumulating 524 strikeouts and only 91 walks, according to Baseball Reference.
Aside from Sasaki’s evident potential as shown by his statistics in Japan, he is merely 23 years of age. It is uncommon for teams to have the chance to sign a pitcher with such talent at this age. Since he is under 25, Sasaki is categorized as an international amateur, meaning MLB teams can only present him with funds that fall within their international amateur bonus pool. The Red Sox possess a bonus pool of slightly less than $6.3 million, as per Speier. Other franchises have varying amounts, based on trades they have made previously. This amount will constitute Sasaki’s signing bonus.
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Sasaki will not require a substantial outlay, thus presenting minimal risk for teams should he not excel in MLB. Conversely, if he does prosper, that team will retain his services for six seasons — three years at minimum salary and three years of arbitration prior to becoming a free agent.
It is apparent why the Red Sox and other franchises are queuing up in hopes of acquiring Sasaki’s talents.
Image Source: Roki Sasaki @ Instagram
