Seattle Mariners Reportedly Bringing Ichiro to Recruiting Meeting w/ Roki Sasaki

The Mariners are doing exactly what they should be doing in an effort to sign Sasaki: Embracing their own Japanese legacy.

Former Seattle Mariners player Ichiro Suzuki reacts during a Spring Training workout at Peoria Sports Complex on Feb. 15. / Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

The Seattle Mariners are reportedly going all-out to try to sign Japanese pitching phenom Roki Sasaki, enlisting the help of franchise legend Ichiro Suzuki.

Adam Jude of the Seattle Times had the information on Tuesday night:

All 30 MLB clubs can afford Sasaki at that price, and the Mariners have been transparent about their intentions. They’re planning a full-fledged recruiting pitch that is expected to include Ichiro Suzuki, the Japanese icon and Mariners legend who is currently on the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot for the first time.

The Mariners are planning a full-fledged recruiting pitch for Roki Sasaki that is expected to include Ichiro, the Japanese icon and future Hall of Famer. (via @A_Jude) https://t.co/wUBvOKXLDR

— Seattle Times Sports (@SeaTimesSports) December 11, 2024

The Mariners courting of Sasaki is somewhat surprising considering that the team already has five ace-type starting pitchers and is in desperate need of offense. However, given Sasaki's affordability, the M's probably feel its too rare an opportunity to pass up. Furthermore, should they land Sasaki, perhaps they'd be more inclined to trade a pitcher for some offense, rather than sign it.

Bringing in Ichiro to help is one of the smartest things that the M's can do, as he's one of the best and most respected players in Japanese baseball history. A surefire Hall of Famer, Ichiro amassed 3,089 hits in just the United States portion of his career. He also was a career .311 hitter with a .355 on-base percentage. He spent parts of 19 years in the big leagues, in addition to his Japanese career with the Orix Blue Wave, now Orix Buffaloes.

In addition to Ichiro, the Mariners have also had success with Kaz Sasaki, Kenji Johjima, Hisashi Iwakuma, Yusei Kikuchi and Shigetoshi Hasegawa from Japan.

Sasaki is 23 years old, throws more than 100 MPH and features a devastating splitter.

Follow Seattle Mariners on SI on social media

Continue to follow our Inside the Mariners coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following Teren Kowatsch and Brady Farkas on "X" @Teren_Kowatsch and @wdevradiobrady. You can subscribe to the "Refuse to Lose" podcast by clicking HERE.