As free agent Roki Sasaki narrows his list of potential teams, the top baseball operations executive for the defending National League East champions suggested he’s out on the 23-year-old phenom.
More news: Yankees Will Meet With Roki Sasaki in California
“We have not been invited to talk to (Sasaki) at this point,” Phillies president of basball operations Dombrowski told reporters, including Paul Casella of MLB.com, on Friday. “We sent in our original info, they know we would very much like to have a presentation, but we haven’t been invited to the table.”
Dave Dombrowski says Phillies are likely done with “impactful” signings. On Roki Sasaki:
“We have not been invited to talk to him at this point. We sent in our original info, they know we would very much like to have a presentation, but we haven’t been invited to the table.”
— Paul Casella (@Paul_CasellaMLB) December 20, 2024
Sasaki, whose precocious potential and affordable salary makes him the most coveted pitcher on the free agent market, was officially posted by his Japanese team, the Chiba Lotte Marines on Dec. 11. He has 45 days from that date to negotiate a contract with major league teams.
More news: Phillies to Sign Slugging Outfielder to One-Year Contract: Reports
Because Sasaki is 23 years old and lacks the requisite experience pitching at the highest level in Japan, he is limited to a signing bonus within a team’s international amateur spending pool limits.
Jasen Vinlove/Miami Marlins/Getty Images
Since that effectively limits Sasaki’s rookie pay to the major league minimum plus a bonus in the $5-$7 million range, salary is a non-issue for teams interested in signing him.
When he was 20, Sasaki threw a 19-strikeout perfect game for the Chiba Lotte Marines in 2022. In his next start, he threw eight more perfect innings in a row. In the 2023 World Baseball Classic, his fastball sat 100 mph.
More news: Phillies a Surprise Contender to Sign Two-Time All-Star: Report
Last season, Sasaki went 10-5 with a 2.35 ERA in 18 starts for Chiba Lotte, with 129 strikeouts in 111 innings.
Sasaki’s representatives have declined to comment on which teams have and have not met with him, but at least two teams have already reportedly met with Sasaki and his agent in Southern California: the New York Yankees and New York Mets.
The Mets Met today with free agent pitcher Roki Sasaki, league sources say.
— Andy Martino (@martinonyc) December 19, 2024
The Chicago Cubs were scheduled to meet with Sasaki on Friday, according to Bruce Levine of 670-AM in Chicago, while the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres are widely viewed as the favorites to sign the pitcher.
Sources -Japanese free agent pitching ace Roki Sasaki is meeting with the Chicago Cubs today. All meetings for Sasaki are taking place in LA.
— Bruce Levine (@MLBBruceLevine) December 20, 2024
Speaking to reporters at the Winter Meetings earlier this month, agent Joel Wolfe indicated Sasaki would speak with teams in person throughout this week. He’s slated to return to Japan for the holidays but could come back to the U.S. to view the cities of the finalists thereafter.
For more MLB news, visit Newsweek Sports.
