Japanese pitching sensation Roki Sasaki will not be signing with the New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, or San Francisco Giants. The Toronto Blue Jays are considered a strong contender for his signature.
The New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, and San Francisco Giants have been informed that Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki will not be signing with them. This information was revealed by sources familiar with the negotiations, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The Giants general manager, Zack Minasian, confirmed during a press conference dedicated to introducing Justin Verlander that San Francisco was no longer in the running for Sasaki's signature.
Meanwhile, the Toronto Blue Jays, who reportedly met with Sasaki last week, remain a strong contender. Roki Sasaki has the opportunity to sign with an MLB team during a specific window starting at 9 a.m. EST on Wednesday and ending at 5 p.m. EST on January 23. According to MLB's international amateur signing rules and the posting system between Major League Baseball and Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball, Sasaki falls under the category of an international amateur due to his age (under 25) and time spent in NPB (less than six seasons). This classification restricts him to a minor league contract with a maximum signing bonus determined by his team's allotted pool. Teams can engage in trades before the signing window opens to potentially increase their signing bonus allocation by up to 60%. Sasaki's agent, Joel Wolfe, has not publicly disclosed the specific teams under consideration for his client. However, reports suggest that Sasaki has also met with the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs. Sasaki's fastball consistently exceeds 100 mph. In 2022, he recorded a 10-5 record with a 2.35 ERA across 18 games, striking out 129 batters in 111 innings despite a season hampered by shoulder inflammation. Throughout his four injury-interrupted seasons with the Marines, Sasaki boasts a 29-15 career record and a respectable 2.10 ERA
ROKI SASAKI MLB JAPANESE PITCHER TORONTO BLUE JAYS FREE AGENT INTERNATIONAL SIGNING
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