On Monday, Sasaki was formally posted by the Chiba Lotte Marines, his Nippon Professional Baseball club, opening a 45-day window for MLB clubs to begin talks.
Wolfe said Sasaki won’t sign until at least Jan. 15, when the 2025 MLB international signing period begins.
All 30 MLB clubs can afford Sasaki at that price, and the Mariners have been transparent about their intentions.
The Mariners have been doing their background research on Sasaki for months — if not years, Dipoto said.
Throughout the industry, the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres are considered the favorites to land Sasaki.
DALLAS — Nobody knows exactly what the Japanese pitching sensation wants in a new team as he considers his (many, many) options before joining Major League Baseball.
Not the man he has hired to act as his representative.
Joel Wolfe, on the other hand, thinks Sasaki will be open-minded when he begins meeting with Major League Baseball clubs next week. Wolfe also hinted that the 23-year-old right-hander might do better playing outside of major markets like New York or Los Angeles.
At the MLB Winter Meetings on Tuesday, Wolfe gave reporters an impromptu briefing. “I think there’s an argument to be made that a smaller/mid-market team might be more beneficial for him as a soft landing coming from Japan, given what he’s been through and not having an enjoyable experience with the media,” they said. Maybe it is. It will not be, I say. I’m not sure how he will interpret it. “”.
Maybe encouraging news for Seattle?
Maybe.
Once more, nobody is really sure what Sasaki values or what factors might affect his choice. His decision to join MLB is shrouded in mystery.
Although he hasn’t yet had a face-to-face meeting with his client to go over the pitcher’s priorities in detail, Wolfe stated that they will be meeting in person later this week in the city. S. . in order to start that process.
MLB clubs have 45 days to start negotiations after Sasaki was officially posted by his Nippon Professional Baseball team, the Chiba Lotte Marines, on Monday.
“Sasaki won’t sign until at least January,” Wolfe said. 15, the start date of the MLB international signing window for 2025. Additionally, Sasaki is only eligible to sign for a portion of the $325 million that the Los Angeles Dodgers paid Yoshinobu Yamamoto (who is also represented by Wolfe) last winter due to MLB’s amateur rules, which are based on his age.
Sasaki is affordable for all 30 MLB teams at that price, and the Mariners have made their intentions clear. They are preparing a full-fledged recruiting pitch that is anticipated to feature Ichiro Suzuki, the Mariners legend and Japanese icon who is currently being considered for the first time for the Baseball Hall of Fame.
According to baseball operations president Jerry Dipoto, Sasaki is “a priority” for the Mariners this winter and he hopes the team’s stellar reputation for pitching development will make him an attractive target.
According to Dipoto, the Mariners have spent months, if not years, researching Sasaki’s background.
“We felt we were ready for it internally when he was officially posted,” Dipoto stated on Tuesday.
Although it is unknown which teams will eventually be asked to present in person, the Mariners think they are in a good position to do so.
The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres are regarded as the front-runners to sign Sasaki in the industry. Wolfe vehemently refuted reports that he had a handshake agreement with the Dodgers, and he admitted that the Padres might benefit from Sasaki’s connection with San Diego veteran starter Yu Darvish.
According to Wolfe, Sasaki is among the “most driven, intense” players he has ever encountered.
Wolfe remarked, “Roki is a little quiet.”. “His sense of humor is dry.”. He has a lot of humor. He doesn’t talk a lot. He is not necessarily fond of verbose people. “”.
“Playing in Major League Baseball has always been Sasaki’s dream,” Wolfe said. Wolfe also claimed that some Japanese media treated Sasaki unfairly because the pitcher wanted to leave Japan early, before turning 25.
“He has been the target of a lot of negative media coverage because he has shown interest in playing for Major League Baseball at such a young age, which is viewed as extremely disrespectful in Japan,” Wolfe said. There were many people who jumped on board and spread untrue rumors about him and his family, which had a negative impact on his mental health. “.”.
Wolfe has been questioned by Sasaki regarding comfort, pitching development, and weather as potential requirements for an MLB team.
