Roki Sasaki Still Has Not Met with Seattle Mariners, Per Report
According to Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times, the Seattle Mariners still have not met with Japanese pitching sensation Roki Sasaki this offseason.
Divish made the comments on the "Puck Podcast" with Jason Puckett. The conversation was transcribed on "X" by popular Mariners user, @MarinerMuse:
Divish said the M's haven't gotten a meeting yet, and added that they still could.
Divish and Puck on the Mariners and Roki Sasaki:
— Mariner Muse (@MarinerMuse) January 8, 2025
“They did not get a meeting, right?”
“They did not. So far, they have not. Maybe they get one.”
While it is still possible, it feels unlikely at this point. The international signing period begins January 15 and Sasaki has indicated he will sign soon after that. The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres are known to be the favorites, but he's also met with teams like the New York Mets.
The Mariners don't technically need Sasaki, as they already have a stable of five great arms in the rotation. However, bringing in Sasaki would give them a pitcher with tremendous upside and allow them to potentially trade an arm like Luis Castillo for offensive help. Sasaki is just 23 years old, throws over 100 MPH and features, perhaps, the best splitter in the entire world.
The Mariners have had tremendous success with Japanese players including future Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki, and they've had great success developing pitchers, so to not even get a meeting with Sasaki would be another gut punch in an offseason full of them.
Thus far, the Mariners have not made one major league signing this winter. They have traded for AAAA infielder Austin Shenton and claimed pitcher Hagen Danner off waivers, but with five weeks until pitchers and catchers report, time is running out for the M's to make an impact this offseason.
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