Japanese pitching sensation Roki Sasaki has chosen not to sign with the New York Yankees or New York Mets, despite their interest. The Dodgers and Padres remain the frontrunners to secure the talented right-hander.
The New York Yankees and New York Mets have been informed that 23-year-old Japanese right-handed pitcher Roki Sasaki will not be signing with either team. The Athletic reported that Sasaki has also met with the Toronto Blue Jays. Sasaki, who starred in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball for the Chiba Lotte Marines, was posted by his team ahead of the Winter Meetings, making him eligible for international free agency .
Teams are limited in what they can offer Sasaki due to his age (under 25), falling under MLB's international amateur classification, with a maximum bonus pool of around $6 million. The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres have long been considered the frontrunners to sign Sasaki, who has expressed admiration for Yu Darvish during his youth and could potentially join a formidable rotation in Los Angeles featuring Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The Yankees and Mets were considered longshots for Sasaki's signature. Despite their interest, the teams will now focus on their respective rotations. The Yankees, with Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, Clarke Schmidt, and Luis Gil, will be without Marcus Stroman, who is owed $18 million this season. The Mets, boasting Kodai Senga, Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas, Clay Holmes, and David Peterson, have a number of potential candidates for their sixth starting pitcher spot, including Paul Blackburn, Tylor Megill, and Griffin Canning. Both Cashman and Stearns, the presidents of baseball operations for the Yankees and Mets respectively, traveled to Japan during the season to witness Sasaki's pitching prowess
Roki Sasaki Yankees Mets Dodgers Padres Free Agency International Amateur Nippon Professional Baseball
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