One of the biggest names in this MLB free agency cycle is undoubtedly Japanese star pitcher Roki Sasaki. After the success of pitchers like Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Sasaki could immediately be in an MLB rotation as an ace. He’s 23 years old, with a career 2.10 ERA through four years of NPB baseball, so you can see why teams would be so interested in him. Many teams want his services, but these five best fit him.
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
There’s a reason it has felt like the Dodgers for months. Los Angeles is more than a heavy spender with talent and a convenient West Coast location. The Dodgers are a genuine A-plus organization, boasting a strong farm system and a long track record of internal development to supplement externally acquired stars. There is also the matter of support, as Sasaki would be part of the NL’s deepest rotation. Between Ohtani, Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, and Clayton Kershaw, there would be no shortage of learning opportunities for Sasaki. He also wouldn’t face as much pressure due to the wealth of talent around him, even if LA is a huge market with high expectations.
2. San Diego Padres
This is a tremendous fit on paper, as San Diego is on the West Coast and is known for quality development. The Padres also have an ace up their sleeve in Yu Darvish, who is a mentor figure in Sasaki’s life. The Padres aren’t short on finances either. There is so much money wrapped up in San Diego’s stars, that Sasaki can’t feel too worried about a long-term, well-compensated future in a Padres uniform. San Diego has an explosive offense and Dylan Cease and Michael King lead the rotation, although signing Sasaki might increase the odds of a Cease trade.
3. New York Yankees
The New York Yankees were just in the World Series, but also lost Juan Soto to free agency and have tried to fill the void by trading for Cody Bellinger and Devin Williams and signing Max Fried and Paul Goldschmidt. The Yankees have a great pitching infrastructure with Fried and Gerrit Cole, which should allow Sasaki to come along slowly and into the ace role over time. For a player hesitant to embrace the white-hot spotlight of a major media market, the Yankees might not be the best landing spot. New York also doesn’t have the strongest developmental track record with pitchers. The Yankees tend to buy their way to success, which is fine, but it might not appeal directly to Sasaki. Factor in the east coast of it all, and the Yankees are pretty much left hoping their unrivaled organizational cachet is enough to woo Sasaki.
4. New York Mets
The New York Mets are fully committed to contending at the highest level after signing Juan Soto to a record-breaking $765 million contract. If Sasaki wants to look a few years later, he can be sure that Steve Cohen would shell out a long-term extension if the 23-year-old lives up to expectations. New York is on the East Coast, and the Mets’ pitching staff isn’t strong. Sasaki would end up as a central figure in a huge media market, which isn’t necessarily what he wants. We know the Mets develop pitchers quickly — with Sasaki’s fellow countryman, Kodai Senga a shining example of New York’s competence in that department. Pitching behind Senga for the foreseeable future on a team willing to go the extra mile to field a winner ought to appeal to Sasaki on some level. I cannot discount the Mets.
5. Texas Rangers
Last season was a mess for Texas, and they don’t have a strong track record of pitching development. Between Nathan Eovaldi, Jacob deGrom, and Jon Gray, the top of the Rangers’ rotation is rapidly aging. Sasaki has ace potential, but it’s hard to imagine him feeling motivated to join a rotation on the decline when he’d have far more support elsewhere. The Rangers won’t win this sweepstakes by convincing Sasaki that he’s joining the best team. Sasaki did grant the Rangers a meeting, so there’s something there. Perhaps it’s the small-ish market compared to the burning spotlight of LA or New York or the wealth of offensive firepower still present in the Rangers’ lineup.
End of Rant – Any owner could put their team in the mix for Sasaki, which means any team could potentially be a player in the Sasaki sweepstakes, but some clubs are better positioned and have better selling points to be able to land him. Let the games begin.
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