The Sasaki news is getting WILD today but the Dodgers remain in the hunt!
NEW YORK — The New York Yankees and Texas Rangers have been informed Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki won’t be signing with them, people familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.
The people spoke on condition of anonymity because Sasaki’s intention to sign elsewhere had not been announced. The decision regarding New York was first reported by the Yankees’ YES Network.
The New York Mets, San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs also received word Monday that Sasaki will not be joining their respective clubs, according to multiple reports.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported the Mets news, and Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle shared that Giants GM Zack Minasian told reporters they had been informed they were out of the sweepstakes during Justin Verlander’s introductory press conference.
Slusser also reported that the Giants received an in-person meeting with Sasaki.
Later Monday, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reported that the Chicago Cubs had been informed they were out, as well.
The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres are considered the favourites to sign the 23-year-old right-hander, with the Toronto Blue Jays another possibility. Every team in MLB was expected to have interest in the phenom.
Under MLB’s international amateur signing rules and the posting system between Major League Baseball and Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, Sasaki can sign with an MLB team during a window starting 9 a.m. ET / 6 a.m. PT Wednesday and ending 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT on Jan. 23.
Because Sasaki is under 25 and has not played six seasons in NPB, he is classified as an international amateur and limited to a minor league contract subject to international signing bonus pools, which range from $5,146,200 to $7,555,500. Starting Wednesday, teams may make trades to increase their signing bonus allotment by up to 60 per cent from their initial figure.
Sasaki’s agent, Joel Wolfe, has not publicly identified teams under consideration.
Sasaki’s fastball tops 100 m.p.h. He was 10-5 with a 2.35 ERA in 18 games last year, striking out 129 hitters in 111 innings in a season limited by shoulder inflammation. He has a 29-15 career record with a 2.10 ERA over four injury-shortened seasons with the Marines.
