Roki Sasaki Rumors: Dodgers Free Agent Target Officially Posted
As the dust begins to settle from Juan Soto’s massive contract with the New York Mets on Sunday night, the Los Angeles Dodgers turn their attention to Japanese free agent Roki Sasaki who was officially posted for Major League Baseball clubs Monday morning.
A 45-day window is now open for MLB teams to persuade the young phenom to sign with them. Sasaki is not expected to sign with a team until after Jan. 15.
The Chiba Lotte Marines, Sasaki’s team in Nippon Professional Baseball, revealed on Nov. 9 their intention to make him available through the posting system, the process used for player transfers between NPB and MLB organizations.
Chiba will earn a posting fee from the MLB team that signs Sasaki, equivalent to 25 percent of his signing bonus.
Under MLB regulations, foreign players under 25 with fewer than six years of professional experience are required to sign as international amateurs. This means Sasaki’s contract will be significantly smaller compared to what he could earn as a standard MLB free agent.
Sasaki has decided to wait until the new international signing period opens on Jan. 15 to finalize his deal, even though he could technically sign before the current period ends on Dec. 15. It is a smart move considering many MLB teams have already allocated their signing pool funds to teenage prospects from Latin America.
However, since those agreements are nonbinding, the team that lands Sasaki will face a tough decision on how to manage those prior commitments.
Within the capped international amateur signing system, teams have bonus pools ranging from approximately $5.1 million at the lower end to about $7.5 million at the higher end. Teams can also increase their pool money by trading for up to 60 percent more.
The Dodgers have been a longtime landing spot for Sasaki not just because they are a consistent postseason contender but because of his Samurai Japan teammates – Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Sasaki, represented by Joel Wolfe of Wasserman Media Group, is one of the most coveted pitchers in the market. He holds a career record of 29-15 with a 2.10 ERA over four seasons with the Chiba Lotte Marines. This season, he posted a 10-5 record with a 2.35 ERA across 18 games, tallying 129 strikeouts over 111 innings.
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Photo Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
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