Fastball

Boston Red Sox Prepared to Make Serious Push For Japanese Phenom Roki Sasaki

The Red Sox have been looking for another top of the rotation arm, and perhaps the 23-year-old Sasaki is it.

Brady Farkas

Boston Red Sox hat and glove lay in the dugout at George M. Steinbrenner Field
Boston Red Sox hat and glove lay in the dugout at George M. Steinbrenner Field / Kim Klement-Imagn Images
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According to recent reports, the Boston Red Sox are preparing a serious push for Japanese free agent Roki Sasaki.

This makes perfect sense on multiple fronts. First, the Red Sox can afford Sasaki. Because he's coming to the United States before the age of 25, Sasaki will only be able to sign a minor league deal with a team's international signing bonus money. At that rate, he's affordable to every team in baseball, and the Red Sox may think that's a better investment than signing Corbin Burnes to a mega-deal.

Second off, the Red Sox simply need another impact starting pitcher. The team just traded for Garrett Crochet, so they feel good about their No. 1 spot, but they could use a solid No. 2 to back up that move. They currently have Bryan Bello, Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford, Lucas Giolito, Cooper Criswell, Richard Fitts and Garrett Whitlock battling for spots in the rotation. If they could land the 23-year-old Sasaki, they could create more depth in the bullpen and at the top levels of their minor league system.

Sasaki throws more than 100 MPH and features perhaps the best splitter in the world. The Red Sox have been linked to other starters on the market like Burnes, and possible trade candidate Luis Castillo, but nothing has materialized yet.

Sasaki is not likely to sign until after the New Year. The Red Sox have had success with Japanese players before, including Hideo Nomo, Daisuke Matzuaka, Koji Uehara and Hideki Okajima. Masataka Yoshida is on the team right now.

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

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