How the A's Could Come Out Ahead in the Roki Sasaki Sweepstakes

Jason Burke | Jan 2, 2025

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

Now that the calendar has flipped to 2025, the baseball world will be waiting for one of the last big free agents to make a decision. That free agent is Japanese right-hander Roki Sasaki, the best pitcher left this offseason. The team that signs him will receive a big boost, and depending on which lucky franchise he picks, could be the difference between making the postseason and sitting at home in October.

There have been reports in recent days that as many as 20 teams have submitted proposals to Sasaki, attempting to lure him to their club. Some of those franchises were even able to do an in-person pitch.

It appears as though the A's are not one of those teams, and landing him was always going to be a tough sell with the team scheduled to play three or four years in a minor-league facility in West Sacramento. Sasaki is already forgoing hundreds of millions of dollars to sign with an MLB team, so he may as well get the full big-league experience for his trouble.

Still, there is a chance that the A's could capitalize on the Sasaki market and improve their own club.

The Athletics are tied with a couple of teams for the most international bonus pool money to spend for 2025 at $7,555,500. While they already have handshake agreements in place for a number of international prospects, nobody is quite sure just how much of their pool they have committed to those players.

If they have not allocated all of those funds, international bonus pool money is tradable, and a small boost from a team like the A's could be the difference between a team getting Sasaki and missing out entirely.

Both the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers have the least to spend with international pools of just $5,146,200. If the A's threw a million their way, that would put either franchise into the same arena as the New York Mets and Yankees, along with the San Diego Padres. It would level the financial playing field.

While $1 million may not make a difference for a free agent like Sasaki, who is looking for the best fit for him, that extra money sure wouldn't hurt.

Now, the return that the A's would be looking at wouldn't be enormous by any means, but they could receive an intriguing player to build up the depth of their farm system. This player would likely reside in the lower levels of the minor leagues and have a standout tool, but some work left to go in order to make it to the big leagues. By no means would this be a sure thing prospect.

But in baseball, sometimes front offices are just collecting lottery tickets. If one of those tickets hits, then the entire future of the franchise can change. It's unlikely, but it happens.

If the A's have any international bonus pool money laying around unused, they may ask around to see if anyone is looking to add to their own bonus pool to sweeten their offer to Sasaki.