Inside The Mets

Insider Reveals Bleak Update on Mets Chances For Roki Sasaki

New York Mets fans aren't going to like this recent update on the Roki Sasaki sweepstakes.

Grant Young

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
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
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During a January 3 appearance on Foul Territory TV, The Athletic's MLB insider Ken Rosenthal asserted that the New York Mets are among the frontrunners to sign 23-year-old Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki.

"It certainly seems like the teams that we've heard mentioned — the Dodgers, the Mets, the Yankees, the Padres, the Rangers, and some others — those are the obvious frontrunners based on simply the fact that they have met with Sasaki and other teams have not," Rosenthal said.

While this sentiment doesn't convey much, it still gave Mets fans optimism about their chances of bringing Sasaki to Queens.

However, SNY's MLB insider Andy Martino's comments about the Mets' chances of signing Sasaki during his January 7 appearance on Mets Hot Stove will have the opposite effect.

"I'm not hearing a lot of optimism in the industry that the Mets will be the team for Roki Sasaki," Martino said on the show. "It seems as if what we see now in the rotation depth chart is going to be what they are rolling into the season with."

While Martino didn't elaborate on why he believes Sasaki won't end up with the Mets, many within the industry think Sasaki would prefer to play on the West Coast, which is why the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers are typically seen as the most likely teams to land him.

Sasaki's decision is expected between January 15 to 23. So Mets fans won't have to wait long before finding out where the generational talent will sign, regardless of whether it's in New York.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the New York Yankees, the New York Mets, and Women’s Basketball for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years. He believes Mark Teixeira should have been a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee.

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