The bidding for star Japanese right-hander Roki Sasaki apparently is about to begin.
ESPN reported Saturday that Sasaki’s availability is expected to be posted when the baseball winter meetings convene Monday in Dallas. Once he is posted by his Japanese team, the Chiba Lotte Marines, Sasaki will have 45 days to negotiate.
While he would be free to sign with a club immediately, he isn’t expected to ink a deal until the next international amateur signing period starts Jan. 15.
That negotiating window is expected to open on Tuesday, per the report.
Sasaki, 23, won’t be in line for a huge payday with this first MLB contract. Foreign professionals under 25 and with fewer than six years’ experience are limited in what they can earn, meaning Sasaki won’t be in line to match the 12-year, $325 million contract Yoshinobu Yamamoto signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers last December.
Sasaki is viewed as having one of the top young arms in the world with a 100 mph fastball and deadly sinker.
In 2024 with the Marines, he was 10-5 with a 2.35 ERA, 129 strikeouts and 32 walks in 111 innings. In four years, Sasaki has thrown 394 2/3 innings and has a 29-15 record with a 2.10 ERA, 505 strikeouts and 88 walks.
Several MLB teams are expected to pursue the services of Sasaki, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs, per ESPN.
–Field Level Media
