Roki Sasaki’s posting is unique because his posting period (free agency) ultimately comes down to where he wants to go rather than the money.
The 23-year-old right-hander, who has starred across four professional seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), can only sign a minor-league deal with an MLB club. His signing bonus will be roughly $5 million to $8 million.
That is quite the bargain for a pitcher of his caliber. He went 29-15 in his NPB career, posting a 2.10 ERA, 505 strikeouts, and a 0.894 WHIP.
While Sasaki has the option to sign with any team he would like — even a small-market club like the Pittsburgh Pirates or Tampa Bay Rays — it is believed that his sweepstakes will still come down to some of the more prominent-spending clubs in the league.
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Top potential Roki Sasaki landing spots
Los Angeles Dodgers: The Dodgers are perceived to be the favorite to land Sasaki, and understandably so. They are the defending champions, with two of the largest Japanese stars on the planet already on their roster in Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani. He would have a chance to assimilate to life in the majors within one of the best pitching staffs in the league, which already includes his two compatriots, Blake Snell, and Tyler Glasnow.
San Diego Padres: Sasaki’s agent, Joel Wolfe, said last week that the Padres would likely be a team that his client “would seriously consider.” Sasaki’s childhood idol and roommate with Team Japan at the World Baseball Classic is Padres ace Yu Darvish. Japanese legend Hideo Nomo also works for the organization. San Diego also provides a smaller market compared to the media-frenzied atmospheres of Los Angeles or New York, which is something to keep in mind, considering Wolfe admitted that Sasaki had some issues with the Japanese media in recent years.
New York Mets: The Mets became quite more attractive a landing spot after signing Juan Soto, which will catapult their chances of contending for a World Series. New York could use another front-line starter of his caliber and could potentially team him up with fellow countryman Kodai Senga, who signed with the Mets from Japan two winters ago. Pitching coach Jeremy Hefner has also built a considerable reputation as a well-regarded baseball mind.
New York Yankees: It appears as though the Yankees are switching their priorities in 2025, opting to build a solid starting rotation, at least before they fill the holes left by Soto and at first base. The Bronx Bombers have composed quite a top three in Gerrit Cole, the newly-acquired Max Fried, and Carlos Rodon. Sasaki would give the Yankees the best rotation in the American League.
Boston Red Sox: The Red Sox have returned as a force to be reckoned with on the open market, which is something they had moved away from over the previous five years. They have been linked with big-time free agents like Soto and starting pitcher Corbin Burnes but have made their biggest move via the trade market for White Sox ace Garrett Crochet. They need at least one more top-tier arm and are expected to make a strong pitch for Sasaki.
For more on Roki Sasaki, visit AMNY.com
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