Padres Have to Feel Good About Their Chances for Roki Sasaki For This Reason

Maren Angus-Coombs | Nov 11, 2024

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The announcement on Saturday that Roki Sasaki would be posted by the Chiba Lotte Marines sparked excitement and stirred the Major League Baseball pot, as teams started envisioning their chances to sign the talented 23-year-old right-hander.

San Diego believes they have a shot because of a mutual connection — Yu Darvish.

"Yu Darvish commands about as much respect as any Japanese-born player in the modern era."@JLEWFifty on why the #Padres would be a great fit for Roki Sasaki:#FightForTheFaithful
🔗 https://t.co/fGPbvbjGlC pic.twitter.com/eUJxoW0ndw

— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) November 10, 2024

The Los Angeles Dodgers made headlines last winter by signing both Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, quickly becoming Japan's most popular MLB team. However, Sasaki developed a strong bond with Darvish during the last World Baseball Classic, a connection that might give San Diego a leg up in their recruitment efforts.

According to MLB.com, the teams with the best chance of landing Sasaki are West Coast clubs and franchises with a history of signing Japanese players. In addition to the Dodgers and Padres, executives have mentioned the Giants, Yankees, Mets, Blue Jays, Cubs, and Rangers as possible contenders.

However, unlike last year’s high-stakes free agency where Yamamoto landed a $325 million deal with the Dodgers, the pursuit of Sasaki won’t conclude with a nine-figure contract. This twist adds an intriguing element to the Hot Stove season.

“This isn’t a Yamamoto situation,” one American League executive said to MLB.com. “Money isn’t going to be the primary issue when he chooses a team.”

The reason is that players under 25 with less than six years in a foreign major league fall under MLB’s international amateur signing bonus pool, which caps their contract amounts.

Ohtani encountered a similar restriction in 2017, joining the Angels with a $2.315 million signing bonus. If Sasaki remains in the majors without a stint in the minors, he would be under team control until the 2030 season.

“Teams are going to have to sell themselves, not just write the biggest check,” an AL executive said. “It still may not be a level playing field because every team won’t have what he’s looking for, but the size of your payroll isn’t necessarily as important.”

Though every MLB team would welcome Sasaki in its rotation, executives believe the Dodgers and Padres are the frontrunners to secure him.

“It’s not quite a two-horse race,” a National League executive said. “But those two are probably the most logical landing spots.”