Baseball: World Baseball Classic – Semifinal Japan vs Mexico – Source: Imagn

The race for Japanese ace Roki Sasaki’s signature continues as several teams have reportedly sent their pitches to the young star. Sasaki took the unusual route by being posted by his parent NPB club, the Chiba Lotte Marines, well before his eligibility for a big contract.

As a result, the 23-year-old will be considered an international free agent, only eligible for a minor league deal. This move has potentially cost him upwards of $200 million for his first major league contract, along with less compensation for the Marines, who will receive a smaller posting fee.

In recent updates from MLB insiders, Sasaki’s agent, Joel Wolfe, shared the logic behind the ace’s early posting.

“Roki Sasaki wants to be one of the greatest, ever,” Wolfe said (per Bob Nightengale). “He’s a guy that wants to be great. He’s not coming here just to be rich,” he added.

It’s also widely reported that Sasaki was courted by at least 20 MLB teams for his signature.

Meanwhile, an interesting detail emerged during the negotiations. Insiders outlined that Sasaki requested the teams send their pitches via videos, presentations and books — an unusual approach compared to the typical in-person meetings during the MLB offseason.

Another significant statement from Sasaki’s agent was that the young phenom could potentially sign with a smaller-market team, straying from the rumored frontrunners, such as the LA Dodgers and the two New York teams.

“I think that there’s an argument to be made that a smaller, mid-market team might be more beneficial for him as a soft landing,” Wolfe said (per Sammy Levitt).

Roki Sasaki’s list narrows down

Per ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez, the selection of Roki Sasaki’s list of potential destinations has been narrowed down. The information was shared by his agent, Joel Wolfe, during a conference call with the media.

“He doesn’t seem to look at it in the typical way that other players do. He has a more long-term, global view of things,” Wolfe said.

The agent shared that, from a list of 20 suitors, Sasaki has selected “a set few number of teams” that he wants to negotiate with.

At the moment, Wolfe has not disclosed which organizations have advanced talks with the hurler, but Sasaki is expected to sign with a major league team by the second week of January 2025.