The Chiba Lotte Marines announced they have begun the process of transferring Roki Sasaki to Major League Baseball via the posting process.
Sasaki’s move to MLB has long been speculated, and he reportedly asked the Marines to post him last offseason, but they declined his request. Sasaki ultimately agreed to a one-year deal with them before declining another contract offer this offseason.
Sasaki should be officially posted in the next few days, which would open a 45-day window for him to sign with an MLB club.
“From the time he joined the team, we have heard from him about his dream to play in the United States,” Marines general manager Naoki Matsumoto said in Japanese. “We have decided to respect his wishes based on our overall judgment over the past five years.
“We wish him the best as a representative of Japan. We are rooting for him.”
Every team in MLB will make their pitch to Sasaki, but the consensus around the league is the Los Angeles Dodgers are heavily favored to sign him. The Dodgers also have the largest remaining international signing bonus pool left at $2.5 million, meaning they could make the largest offer to him.
By coming to MLB at 23-years-old, Sasaki has strictly limited his potential earnings as he is subject to international signing rules as an amateur free agent, rather than entering the league with no limitations on his contract.
That is the path Shohei Ohtani followed with the Los Angeles Angels, and he was unable to reach his record pay-day until signing with the Dodgers last offseason.
If Sasaki waited until he turns 25 or completed six years in the NPB, such as Yoshinobu Yamamoto, he would be eligible to sign any contract with any team. Considering he would be highly coveted on the free agent market, Sasaki potentially would have surpassed the contract Yamamoto signed with the Dodgers.
Despite the potential money involved in his decision, Sasaki has made it known his goal is to pitch in MLB, and he may want that sooner rather than later.
“I can only thank the Marines for listening to me about a future challenge to the MLB, and for allowing me to officially post my application,” Sasaki said. “There have been many things that have gone wrong in my five years with the Marines, but with the support of my teammates, the staff, the front office, and the fans, I have been able to come this far by focusing only on baseball.
“I will do my best to live up to the expectations of everyone who has supported me and to become the best player in the world by working my way up from a Minor League contract.
In 18 starts this past season, Sasaki carried a 2.35 ERA and 1.04 WHIP with 129 strikeouts to 32 walks in 111 innings. He possess top-of-the-rotation stuff and would instantly become the top prospect in MLB one he is posted.
“I am of course very hurt for the team,” Marines manager Masato Yoshii said. “However, I have played in the U.S. myself, so I understand the feelings very well. I also understand the feeling of wanting to take on challenges now that you are young.
“To be honest, there are still some parts that are incomplete, but I believe that he can improve himself in the U.S. and raise his game even further. I hope he can prove it over there.”
Roki Sasaki receiving guidance from Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s agent
Sasaki has been receiving some direction from Yamamoto’s agent, Joel Wolfe. Sasaki has spoken fondly of Yamamoto in the past, which could be insight into potentially signing with Wolfe of Wasserman as his agent.
Wolfe also negotiated Yamamoto’s deal with the Dodgers, and L.A. has favored working with the Wasserman Group over the Boras Corporation more often than not.
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