The New York Mets, still awash with the glow of signing Juan Soto, have turned their attention to another high-profile free agent: Roki Sasaki. Since making his strides toward Major League Baseball, the Los Angeles Dodgers have been the favorites to land the 23-year-old Japanese pitching phenom. But reporting from SNY has the Mets vying for him. They are now the first team to meet with the Japanese phenom in person, as they look to charge their pitching staff.
Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets Dueling For Roki Sasaki
The Yankees have also expressed interest in Sasaki and are scheduled to meet with him and his agent, Joel Wolfe, in the near future.
But Sasaki’s decision won’t be made by the team with the most generous contract. Due to Sasaki’s age, (under 25) he is being treated as an international free agent, subject to strict signing bonus limitations. This means that any team acquiring him will be restricted by their international bonus pool. As a result, a potential deal for Sasaki will be a minor league contract, although he will undoubtedly be added to the major league roster.
With the usual bargaining chip of money off the table, the question is, what will be Sasaki’s biggest attraction? His agent, Joel Wolfe shared some of Sasaki’s thoughts on what he wants in an eventual team.
“The best I can say is he has paid attention to how teams have done as far as overall success, both this year and in years past,” Wolfe said. “He does watch a lot of Major League Baseball. He’s paid attention to what his [World Baseball Classic] teammates have done. He’s talked to a lot of foreign players that have been on his team in Chiba Lotte.
“He asks a lot of questions — about weather, about comfortability, about pitching development. He’s just watching what other Japanese players in the Major Leagues are doing and how they are doing.”
Both the Mets and Dodgers have plenty to offer in these areas. The Mets have excellent infrastructure under pitching coach Jeremy Hefner, as well as, pairing with a potential mentor, Kodai Senga.
But it is hard to argue with the Dodgers’ recent success and having MLB’s biggest star, who happens to also be Japanese, Shohei Ohtani.
The San Diego Padres are also in the mix, due to Sasaki’s close relationship with Yu Darvish.
Sasaki can sign with a team as early as Jan. 15, when the international signing period opens.