Boston Red Sox Not Out of the Mix For Japanese Ace Roki Sasaki, Per Report

While it seems likely he will join the Los Angeles Dodgers or San Diego Padres, there is apparently still a chance that Roki Sasaki joins the Boston Red Sox this winter.

Mar 20, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Japan starting pitcher Roki Sasaki (14) delivers a pitch during the first inning against Mexico at LoanDepot Park. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox have already signed starting pitchers Walker Buehler and Patrick Sandoval this offseason – plus traded for Garrett Crochet – but they might not be done adding to their rotation just yet.

Japanese ace Roki Sasaki is still hanging around on the open market, waiting for the 2025 international amateur free agency period to open on Jan. 15. He won't have long to make a decision from there, however, since the 23-year-old's posting window closes on Jan. 23.

The Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres and Chicago Cubs are the favorites to land Sasaki, with the Texas Rangers, New York Mets and New York Yankees hanging around as well. And while the Red Sox haven't been mentioned among Sasaki's most likely landing spots since he was officially posted by the Chiba Lotte Marines at the Winter Meetings, they are apparently still in the picture.

According to WEEI's Rob Bradford, Sasaki's representatives have not told the Red Sox they are out of the mix for the righty.

Per source, Red Sox haven’t been told they are out of Roki Sasaki mix

— Rob Bradford (@bradfo) January 4, 2025

Because he has yet to turn 25 years old, Sasaki is designated as an international amateur free agent and will be subject to bonus pool restrictions. That has placed a hard cap on what he will sign for, evening the playing field between the high-rollers and the clubs facing payroll issues.

If the Red Sox were to swoop in and win the Sasaki sweepstakes, he would join a rotation that already features Crochet, Buehler, Sandoval, Tanner Houck, Brayan Bello, Lucas Giolito, Kutter Crawford and Garrett Whitlock. Giolito, Sandoval and Whitlock are likely to start the season on the injured list, though, while Whitlock and Crawford are candidates to get moved to the bullpen, so adding someone of Sasaki's caliber might still be in the cards.

Over the course of his four-year career in Nippon Professional Baseball, Sasaki posted a 29-15 record, 2.10 ERA, 0.894 WHIP and 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings. He also went 1-0 with a 3.52 ERA, 1.174 WHIP and 11.7 strikeouts per nine innings in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, winning a Gold Medal with Japan while showing off his 102 mile-per-hour fastball.

The 6-foot-4 righty was a two-time NPB All-Star, having pitched a perfect game and broken NPB's single-game strikeout record in 2022. While he dealt with shoulder soreness this past season, Sasaki still went 10-5 with a 2.35 ERA, 1.036 WHIP and 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings across 18 starts.

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