Roki Sasaki, Japan’s 23-year-old pitching phenom, has sparked controversy in Major League Baseball by exposing a loophole in the league’s international amateur contracting rules. As Sasaki considers a move to MLB, his classification as an “amateur” in the current system has raised calls for reform and highlighted the complexities of baseball’s free agency process.
Caught between “professional” and “amateur”
Despite four professional seasons with Japan’s Chiba Lotte Marines, Sasaki does not meet the MLB’s definition of a foreign professional free agent. Under the MLB-NPB posting system, players must have at least six seasons of experience or be over 25 years old to be eligible for full free agency. As a result, Sasaki falls under MLB’s International Amateur Bonus Pool rules, capping his signing bonus at approximately $7.6 million if he signs after January 15, 2025.
This classification puts Sasaki in the same category as youth players from Latin America who are traditionally signed during the MLB’s international amateur signing period.
A generational talent on hold
However, Sasaki’s talent makes him stand out. Known for his triple-digit fastball and pinpoint accuracy, he is compared to Shohei Ohtani, another generational Japanese player who navigated similar limitations in 2017. Like Ohtani, Sasaki could lose millions of dollars in revenue because of MLB’s strict rules.
Debate over rule changes
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic has suggested Sasaki be exempt from the international bonus pool limits to reflect his professional caliber. Such a move would allow teams to offer him a contract commensurate with his talent without disrupting existing agreements with other international talent.
But critics argue that creating exceptions could set a dangerous precedent. “If a team wants to break commitments to players to sign Sasaki, they should do that and deal with the consequences,” said Ben Badler of Baseball America. He added that MLB should not subsidize teams by creating separate bonus pools for exceptional players.
A broken system?
Sasaki’s situation underscores broader problems with MLB’s amateur signing system. Players under 25 or with fewer than six professional seasons are subject to bonus pool restrictions, even if they are among the best players in their home countries. This rule, aimed at leveling the playing field among MLB teams, may need to be reconsidered as more and more elite talent enters the league internationally.
The way forward
Whether MLB decides to exclude Sasaki from the bonus pool or address the issue in the next collective bargaining agreement, his arrival highlights the need for flexibility in the signing rules. With Sasaki’s impending decision, MLB faces pressure to maintain fairness for teams and respect for the unique circumstances of players like Sasaki, whose talent transcends existing classifications.
