San Francisco Giants May Have Exactly what Star International Free Agent Needs

The San Francisco Giants may have something that other teams can not offer to the international free agent in waiting.

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

While the San Francisco Giants have not been the most active team this winter, they have made one splash, and there is still time and options available for them to make another one before the season starts rolling.

The club signed shortstop Willy Adames to a seven-year, $182 million deal, the largest in franchise history. New president of baseball operations Buster Posey let the world know with that move he is willing to spend to improve the franchise and get back into contention.

In the National League West, that is easier said than done with the Los Angeles Dodgers at the head of the table, but the offseason still has some runway left, and one key free agent has yet to decide the team he will call home; Roki Sasaki.

The Japanese superstar is the international free agent of note this year; a star pitcher from the Chiba Lotte Marines, who is the prized prospect of reportedly 20 teams this winter.

While that many organizations might have interest in the young phenom, the Giants may have an advantage over the competition; their ability to develop pitching.

"He doesn't seem to look at it in the typical way that other players do," writes Alden Gonzales in a recent article for ESPN. "He has a more long-term, global view of things. I believe Roki is also very interested in the pitching development and how a team is going to help him get better, both in the near future and over the course of his career. He didn't seem overly concerned about whether a team had Japanese players on their team or not, which, in the past, when I represented Japanese players, that was sometimes an issue. That was never a topic of discussion."

San Francisco has developed a plethora of pitchers throughout the history of their franchise, and that has been no different this century.

From Tim Lincecum to Madison Bumgarner, and now with Logan Webb, the club has developed aces at a high level which has fared well for the team and players over the years.

They may not have the championship pedigree this decade that other teams in the mix have, but the Giants' ability to develop pitching could be just what Sasaki needs in a new home in MLB.