MLB’s international signing period opens this week on Wednesday and the New York Yankees have already found out where they stand in the Roki Sasaki sweepstakes: they’re out.
The Yankees have been told by the Sasaki camp that he won’t be signing with them. That’s what YES Network analyst and former New York Times baseball writer Jack Curry is reporting.
It’s not the end of the world for the Yankees, who have bolstered their starting rotation and bullpen this offseason with the acquisitions of starter Max Fried and Devin Williams.
The Yankees weren’t putting all their chips in Sasaki. After losing out on Juan Soto, general manager Brian Cashman got to work addressing the team’s main weaknesses, arguably producing a more balanced team for 2025.
Bad News for Others Too
Fortunately for the Yankees, the New York Mets are also reportedly out of the running for Sasaki — saving Cashman & Co. from some potential further shame. Mets owner Steve Cohen loses out on an opportunity to rub a little humble pie in the face of the Steinbrenners again in the battle for New York baseball supremacy.
The San Francisco Giants have also been told that they’re out of the mix on Sasaki, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. That removes one West Coast team from the race for Sasaki.
Japanese players are generally assumed to favor West Coast teams because of the shorter flight distances back home.
But it’s unclear whether proximity to Japan is a priority for Sasaki. The Athletic reports that the Japanese ace met with the Toronto Blue Jays last week — well after his December meetings with a host of other MLB teams.
That would suggest that the Jays have a chance, but they have a track record of late for making big moves for major talent, only to strike out.
Why Sasaki Is So Coveted
Sasaki is undoubtedly the most exciting Japanese pitcher to make their way to the United States since Yoshinobu Yamamoto and possibly even Shohei Ohtani.
He’s got a 100-mph-plus fastball and one of the nastiest splitters you’ll ever see.
Though he already has a perfect game under his belt — he almost pitched a second the next game — he is still a work in progress.
Sasaki reportedly prefers a team with a strong pitching development infrastructure and potentially even a smaller market where the press glare isn’t so strong.
That could put the San Diego Padres in the lead for landing Sasaki. The Japanese veteran Yu Darvish is in their rotation and could be a mentor.
There is, however, a possibility all the speculation over Sasaki’s destination over the past few months may have been an exercise in futility. He’s got until January 23 to make his final decision. He may ultimately choose to join — where else? — the Los Angeles Dodgers.
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