About Those Sasaki Rumours
The Blue Jays could get a Japanese superstar after all. No, not that one. But someone who did play with him on team Japan.
After turning heads at the World Baseball Classic in 2023, pitcher Roki Sasaki is expected to be posted by his Japanese club, the Chiba Lotte Marines.
And while the Blue Jays might be hesitant to go down this road after the failed experiment that was Shun Yamaguchi in 2020, there is a clear upside to bringing Sasaki across the world.
First, there is his age. As Sasaki is under 25, which due to International Posting System rules and the Collective Bargaining Agreement that MLB has with Nippon Professional Baseball, means that there are limitations and restrictions on how much money from the international bonus allotment can actually be used for his contract.
While he certainly won't be cheap, it means that we won't see the same situation that saw Yoshinobu Yamamato get 12 years $325 million with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Sasaki also fits a need on the Blue Jays staff.
He could easily slide into the number four or five slot in the rotation, or the team could elect to give him the Yariel Rodriguez treatment, using him in a hybrid role as a way to ease his transition into the majors, while also controlling his pitch count and health of his arm.
It should be pointed out that the Marines haven't actually posted Sasaki yet, and there is a debate about whether he will be available for the 2024 or 2025 posting period. There are benefits to either, both for Sasaki and for any big league team that might want to sign him.
It is also unknown whether or not the Blue Jays will actually take a run at him should he become available, but with team linked to every free agent in the knowable universe and beyond, this will be an interesting story line to follow over the next little while.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 3 | 99 ANSWERS About Those Sasaki Rumours Is Roki Sasaki worth the investment | ||
| Yes | 34 | 34.3 % |
| No | 27 | 27.3 % |
| too early to tell | 38 | 38.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
