Could Cardinals Make Bid For Japanese Phenom To Bolster Rotation?

The Cardinals could use some rotation help.

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

The St. Louis Cardinals are not expected to be very active this offseason in terms of signing free agents. Instead, they will be looking to shed payroll. The best way for them to do that is to trade Nolan Arenado, who is owed $74 million over the final three years of his contract.

But once some of the salary from his contract is cleared out, it wouldn't be too much of a surprise to see St. Louis make a move or two. In fact, John Mozeliak has stated that he intends to make a pitch to Roki Sasaki.

Perhaps St. Louis will be able to land him.

"There had been a "Will They or Won't They" thing going on with whether the Chiba Lotte Marines of Japan would post the right-hander during MLB's 2024-25 offseason. That ended in November when the team announced its intention to do so, and Sasaki's 45-day bidding window opened on Tuesday," Zachary D. Rymer wrote in Bleacher Report.

"Because he is not yet 25, Sasaki is an amateur free agent and can only sign a minor league deal subject to MLB's international bonus pool restrictions.

The 2024 signing period ends on December 15. The 2025 period will begin on January 15, and it is in this one that Sasaki is expected to sign."

Because Sasaki won't be too expensive, he could be a perfect fit for the Cardinals, and since they are going with a youth movement, he could fit right at 23 years old.

We'll see if the Cardinals bid is successful.

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