The buzz around Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki continues to grow after a first round of meetings with MLB teams before 2024 came to a close. With the 23-year-old right-hander not expected to sign until Jan. 15 at the earliest, another round of meetings with potential suitors, as well as some visits to cities and stadiums in person, is a possibility.
Sasaki’s agent, Joel Wolfe, told reporters in a conference call on Monday that the list of teams that have expressed interest in his client included 20 of MLB’s 30 teams. He did not, however, specify which teams have already met with Sasaki, but rumors have six or seven teams that have already had face-to-face encounters.
While all 30 MLB teams would love to have Sasaki on their roster, there are three that perhaps need him more than the other 27. Here’s a look at those teams and why they belong on the list.
San Diego Padres
At the recent MLB winter meetings in Dallas, Padres manager Mike Shildt was confident about his team’s chances of landing Sasaki, and the Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers have been named as the “clear and heavy favorites” to land him, according to MLB insider Jon Heyman of The New York Post.
While the Dodgers would simply be adding to their wealth of talent by signing Sasaki, it can be argued that the Padres need this signing much more than their Interstate-5 rivals. As of Tuesday morning, the Padres have yet to make a splash this offseason, while their National League West rivals in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Arizona have all added big names to their rosters.
Adding Sasaki to a rotation that includes Dylan Cease and Michael King, who finished fourth and seventh, respectively, in last season’s NL Cy Young Award voting, would be great on paper as well as reinforce the point that San Diego should be considered a serious NL contender.
Seattle Mariners
The Mariners need something good to happen after an offseason that has been quiet except for the rumors about a potential Luis Castillo trade. Houston and Texas have already made moves to boost their lineups, and if the Mariners are going to compete for the the postseason again this season, something has to be done in the New Year to add to a roster that just missed the playoffs in 2024.
After Castillo, Seattle’s starting pitching depth is shaky, so Sasaki would be a great fit. Plus, in a year where Japanese and Mariners legend Ichiro Suzuki is likely heading to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, how great would it be to have the next potential Japanese superstar begin his career in the Emerald City?
Baltimore Orioles
After losing ace Corbin Burnes to the Diamondbacks in free agency, Baltimore needs someone to step into that role. While that may lead to a pressure-packed situation for an MLB rookie, Wolfe has made it clear that he believes Sasaki’s makeup could allow him to handle any situation.
After watching division rivals New York and Boston improve their rotations, Baltimore has to have some kind of answer. Sasaki could not only provide that, but also come at a reasonable price since he is signing with international bonus pool money (of which the Orioles have roughly $2.1 million left over from this past year).
With a youth movement already in full force in Baltimore, Sasaki would fit in well and give the Orioles another reason to believe they can advance farther in the postseason in 2025.
