Free Agency News on Top Japanese Pitcher Sparks Hope for Detroit Tigers Fans
The Detroit Tigers have yet to make the huge splash this offseason that fans were looking to see coming off an epic postseason run and behind a young core that has rebuilt the right way.
With demonstrated evidence that the Tigers are not as far away from contending as it looked midway through this past season, the hope was for star players to supplement the build and potentially accelerate things for a Detroit team trying to take the next step.
While that has not happened yet, solid additions like Gleyber Torres and Alex Cobb should contribute heavily in 2025 on one-year deals, and of course there's still the possibility of the late push for Alex Bregman becoming successful.
If there's one player still available who Tigers fans would love to see the team land above all others, it's Japanese 23-year-old sensation Roki Sasaki.
Being pursued by just about every team in the major leagues, Sasaki is subject to restrictions that limit what he can command on the open market. Because teams are only allowed to pay him what's in their international signing pool, the playing field is leveled.
Previous statements from Sasaki's agent Joel Wolfe indicated that he could prefer a smaller market team, and Wolfe confirmed this week that market size won't be a factor.
"Market size isn’t a factor either way," Wolfe told SNY in a text message.
Generally, high profile free agents would be swayed by the prospect of playing in a large market both for the high contract those teams can generally offer plus the chance to build their brand on a more prominent national stage. In Sasaki's case, it sounds like he genuinely wants the best situation where he can develop and is not going to be impacted by dazzling deals.
That development could be influenced dramatically by pitching coach Chris Fetter, whose impressive job with the Detroit staff this season saw him named Baseball America's coach of the year for 2024.
Having guided Tarik Skubal from intriguing prospect to dominant Cy Young ace, there's reason for Detroit to pitch to Sasaki that they are the best place for him to develop as a future star pitcher in this league.
Now, this doesn't discount the fact the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres should still be looked at as heavy favorites to land the righty, they certainly are. But the Tigers have a defined pitch and if Sasaki is to be believed that the glitz and glamor of a large market isn't going to sway him, they should have a pretty good shot.
