Yankees and Mets are out of the running for Roki Sasaki
Japan's Roki Sasaki pitches against Mexico during in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, Credit: TNS/Matias J. Ocner
It looks as if Roki Sasaki is not coming to New York.
The star Japanese righthander has informed the Yankees that he will not be signing with them, a source confirmed to Newsday.
The Mets, who along with the Yankees are known to have met with Sasaki, also have been told they are out, according to the New York Post.
The Sasaki saga is scheduled to end as soon as Wednesday, when he is first eligible to sign under MLB rules for international free agents. The Dodgers and Padres are considered the favorites to land him.
Money is not an issue in the Sasaki sweepstakes. Because he agreed to be posted before turning 25, Sasaki, 23, can get a deal of only about $5 million to $8 million, so the clubs had to make pitches to the pitcher that transcended money.
Under MLB’s system, Sasaki is an international amateur even though he has played four seasons for Chiba Lotte in the top Japanese professional league, going 29-15 with a 2.10 ERA and 505 strikeouts in 394 2⁄3 innings.
Had Sasaki waited until he turned 25 to come to America, he would have been a complete free agent. That was the system that allowed Yoshinobu Yamamoto to sign a $325 million contract with the Dodgers last offseason.
At the Dec. 18 news conference to introduce Max Fried, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said of Sasaki: “He’s obviously a tremendous talent. No doubt about it, he has a chance to be one of the world’s great pitchers. It’d be nice to have Yankee Stadium be his home, but the decision will be up to him. All we can do is share everything and anything about ourselves and what we provide.”
Sasaki might have been a luxury for the Yankees, but the Mets might need to add a starter to join Kodai Senga, Sean Manaea, David Peterson, Frankie Montas and Clay Holmes in a rotation that shows promise but has questions.
Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns, at the general managers’ meetings on Dec. 10, said of Sasaki: “What I can comment on is he’s a really talented pitcher. Whoever gets him is going to have a very talented young pitcher going forward. We’re certainly going to give it our best shot.”
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