Roki Sasaki's Agent Confirms Colorado Rockies Expressed Interest in Japanese Pitcher

Joel Wolfe shared some updates on Roki Sasaki's free agency at the Winter Meetings on Tuesday, including that the Colorado Rockies were among the first teams to check in on the 23-year-old ace.

Dec 10, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; Agent Joel Wolfe, agent for Roki Sasaki, speaks with the media at Hilton Anatole. / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Even though it ultimately won't show when it's time for him to get paid, Roki Sasaki is one of the top free agents on the open market this winter.

The Japanese right-handed pitcher was officially posted by the Chiba Lotte Marines this week after months of speculation. He can sign as soon as possible, but as an international amateur, all signs point to Sasaki waiting until the next period begins on Jan. 15.

Sasaki will have to secure a deal before his posting window closes on Jan. 23, though, lining up a one-week period during which he is likely to put pen to paper.

That won't stop Sasaki from negotiating with teams in the meantime, however. His agent, Joel Wolfe, took center stage at the Winter Meetings in Dallas on Tuesday, fielding plenty of questions about the 23-year-old ace and his plans for the upcoming season.

Sasaki has long been tied to the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres, but Wolfe made it clear that those teams weren't the only ones going after the righty. As passed along by MLB.com's Thomas Harding, Wolfe said that the Rockies were one of the first three teams to contact him with interest in Sasaki.

Joel Wolfe, agent for just-posted Japanese RHP Roki Sasaki, acknowledged that the #Rockies were one of the first three teams to contact him with interest. Saskia, 23, is considered an international amateur who is limited to a Minor League contract/international bonus pool money.

— Thomas Harding (@harding_at_mlb) December 10, 2024

Not many headlining free agents have considered the Rockies in recent years, as the team has been largely hesitant to spend. The idea of Colorado even pursuing a true superstar has even become a running joke among the fanbase, one that has involved owner Dick Monfort responding to emails about Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto.

And yet, Sasaki's age and designation as an international amateur means he will be subject to teams' bonus pool restrictions, capping the amount he can earn in free agency. The Rockies have $6.8 million to work with in the 2025 cycle, while no team is starting with more than $7.6 million.

That means money probably won't be a problem for the Rockies in any negotiations with Sasaki and Wolfe, putting them on relatively even footing with the typical big-spenders.

And according to Wolfe, Denver being one of the smaller baseball markets out there might not be a negative either.

"I think there's an argument to be made that a smaller, mid-market team might be more beneficial for him as a soft landing coming from Japan," Wolfe said. "Given what he's been through and not having an enjoyable experience with the media, it might be – I'm not saying it will be, but I don't know how he's gonna view it – it might be beneficial for him to be in a smaller market."

Sasaki was heavily criticized by local Japanese media when he started to consider leaving Nippon Professional Baseball in favor of MLB. Cities like New York, Boston, Chicago and Philadelphia boast notoriously unsympathetic media markets as well, so perhaps that could push Sasaki somewhere like Colorado instead.

The Rockies' rotation could use an ace like Sasaki, even if it already features some accomplished arms in Germán Márquez, Kyle Freeland, Ryan Feltner and Austin Gomber. But with Cal Quantrill getting non-tendered last month, there is certainly room for Sasaki to step in and claim a starting gig right off the bat.

Since turning pro in 2019, Sasaki has gone 30-15 with a 2.02 ERA, 0.883 WHIP and 11.4 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 season, Sasaki still went 10-5 with a 2.35 ERA, 1.036 WHIP and 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings across 18 starts.

Sasaki's recruitment process is just getting underway now, as he has yet to start meeting with teams, fielding official offers or visiting American cities. That gives the Rockies an opening to truly contend for Sasaki's services, and only time will tell if they are going to be taken seriously as a possible destination for the up-and-coming star.

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