The competition for Japanese Roki Sasaki has already begun after his team in Nippon Professional Baseball, the Chiba Lotte Marines, agreed to include him in the MLB post system so that he can enter free agency in 2025 and now the Yankees and Dodgers are the favorites to get the young jewel of pitching.
With his presence confirmed in free agency, Sasaki will now be able to talk directly with the teams interested in his services, where the Yankees and Dodgers stand out for the bonus funds they have for international signings.
In the case of himThe Californians have up to $2.5 million dollars to invest in Sasaki while the Yankees were left behind with $1.5 million dollars availablebut with the ambition of seeking a new World Series in 2025.
Another team that has the funds to complete the transaction would be the Baltimore Orioles, who add up to $2.15 million in the bonus.
Regarding his foray into free agency, Sasaki spoke with MLB and explained several things in relation to the challenge he will take on when he reaches the Major Leagues.
“Since I joined the Marines, I have been hearing about my future challenges in the majors, and I am grateful to the team for allowing me to officially enter the post system. “A lot of things happened, but I was able to get to this point by focusing solely on baseball, with the support of my teammates, staff, management and fans, so I have no regrets in my baseball career,” he said. .
The interest of the Yankees in the pitcher who has a promising future in baseball was such that They even sent a scout to Japan to see the opener’s performance up close.
Furthermore, the expectation about Sasaki is based on the numbers he accumulates with the Chiba Lotte Marines of Japan, where He has added a lifetime ERA of 2.10, with more than 505 strikeouts and just 88 walks in 394.2 innings of action..
Whoever takes over Sasaki’s services for the 2025 season will not only have a young 22-year-old pitcher, they will also take over his performances for the next six years at a ridiculous price, as he is a rookie player, similar to what happened with Shohei Ohtani in 2017.
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