Questionable Rumor Surfaces on Social Media That Seattle Mariners Could Sign Roki Sasaki
The popular @MLB_Scoops account posted on "X" on Tuesday that the Seattle Mariners are emerging as real contenders for Japanese superstar pitcher Roki Sasaki.
#Mariners emerging as a serious contender for RHP Roki Sasaki.
— MLBScoops (@mlb_scoops) November 27, 2024
We'll be honest: We aren't sure the report is legitimate at this point, but the account does have a track record of at least being "in" on big pieces of news.
If the Mariners, are in fact, in on Sasaki, it would represent multiple massive developments for Seattle. First, it would give the Mariners perhaps the most-sought after free agent this offseason not named Juan Soto. At 23-years-old with a fastball that tops 100 MPH and a devastating splitter, Sasaki has front-line ace potential. Given that he'll be affordable because of international signing rules, it makes sense that the Mariners are interested.
However, what comes next will be the fascinating part, should M's actually land him. Do the M's elect to go with a six-man rotation in order to limit the workloads of a starting rotation that saw four players make 30 starts or more in 2024? Or do they look to trade a starter in order to find a bat on the trade market? A bad they desperately need.
All along, it has been thought that Sasaki would land with the Dodgers this offseason. However, now that Blake Snell has signed in Los Angeles, it's possible that both team and player could re-think things. The Padres have also been linked to Sasaki.
For what it's worth, the Mariners have a long and rich history of Japanese players having success in the organization. Ichiro, Kazuhiro Sasaki, Shigetoshi Hasegawa, Hisashi Iwakuma and Kenji Johjima have all played integral parts in Seattle at various points.
Now, we'll have to see if anyone else corroborates this speculation. That's when it would be time to get really excited.
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