San Francisco Giants Pitching Target Preparing for Next Stage of Free Agency

On of the top remaining pitchers on the free-agent market has met with more than half of the teams in Major League Baseball.

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

The San Francisco Giants knew the competition to land Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki would be fierce. But it has engulfed more than half the league, according to Sasaki’s agent, Joel Wolfe.

He did a Zoom call with reporters on Monday and said that 20 different teams sent information to Sasaki, which included Powerpoints, books and short films, according to a report in NBC News Bay Area.

Any meetings that Sasaki has had with teams have taken plays in Wolfe’s office in Los Angeles at the Wasserman agency.

He would not confirm which teams have met with the 23-year-old pitcher. He did say that Sasaki is in Japan for the holidays. The next step is to determine if more first meetings are needed or if he’s ready for a second round.

Because of the deliberate nature of the talks, Wolfe did not believe Sasaki would be ready to sign a deal on the first day of the international free agent signing window, which is Jan. 15.
He said it is a "very unique process" for a "very unique player."

Sasaki’s process is different than that of pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto last offseason because Sakaki is only 23. Due to his age (under 25) and his limited professional experience (less than six years), he’s subject to international signing bonus rules.

That means the most he can make is a $7.5 million international signing bonus, along with the normal minimum salary for a first-year player. It’s part of the reason so many teams have shown an interest. The international bonus field makes the playing field more level.

While Wolfe said that Sasaki believes he has much to refine, most MLB scouts and analysts have said that he could fit into an MLB rotation on opening day.

He throws a triple-digit fastball and, like Yamamoto — who signed for more than $300 million with the Dodgers last offseason — has an array of pitches.

Last year he went 10-5 with a 2.35 ERA, 129 strikeouts and 32 walks in 111 innings. For his four-year career he is 29-15 with a 2.10 ERA and 505 strikeouts against 88 walks in 394.2 innings.

Many insiders believe the Dodgers have the inside track, coming off a World Series title and boasting two of his countrymen on the roster in Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani.

But, Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey has spoken openly about his interest in the player, so presumably San Francisco, at minimum, has sent information to Sasaki. About a week ago, the San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser reported that the Giants were “believed to have met” with the pitcher.