Commissioner Rob Manfred has confirmed in his media availability that Japanese pitcher Rocky Sasaki will be part of Baseball’s 2025 international signing class.
“It looks like… the signing there will happen during the group’s new period,” Manfred said.
MLB’s annual international signing period begins Jan. 15, meaning Sasaki will not sign before then. Sasaki will have 45 days to sign after the announcement. It is a formality for 45 days, since Sasaki is the third best player. Atlético Free Agent Big Board, there will be no shortage of suitors. Previously, Sasaki’s Nippon Professional Baseball club, the Chiba Lotte Marines, announced that the 23-year-old would be signed.
Due to his age, Sasaki is an international amateur in the MLB system, meaning he makes the minimum wage and his bonus is limited. Each MLB team is assigned a dollar amount to spend on international fans and cannot exceed that amount, although they can trade for additional space. Low-level teams will receive $5.1 million by 2025, and high-level teams will receive $7.6 million. Therefore, both Sasaki’s salary and the 20 percent payment to Lotte Marines will be relatively small figures.
“I will do everything in my power to surpass my minor league contract and become the best player in the world,” Sasaki said in a statement. Translated by Yakyu Cosmopolitan“That’s why I have no regrets about my only career in baseball, and I can live up to the expectations of everyone who has supported me up to this point.”
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(Foto: AP/Eugene Hoshiko)
