Philly Leader

The Philadelphia Phillies, who previously made attempts to sign Japanese baseball stars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, are now eyeing another promising talent from Japan. Roki Sasaki, a 23-year-old right-handed pitcher, is set to enter the Major League Baseball (MLB) free-agent market soon. Sasaki's current team, the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), has announced plans to post him for MLB teams.

Unlike Yamamoto's $300 million contract expectations, Sasaki's contract will be subject to MLB's international amateur signing bonus pool rules due to his age and service time in foreign major leagues. This restriction means that his deal will likely resemble Ohtani’s initial $2.3 million contract rather than a more lucrative one.

The Phillies' past endeavors with Ohtani and Yamamoto highlight their interest in Japanese players despite not securing either player. "There's just so much talent over there," Phillies general manager Sam Fuld remarked in March regarding the Asian market. He emphasized the organization's desire to position themselves favorably for acquiring premium talent.

If Sasaki posts before December 2nd, he would only be eligible to sign during the 2024 international amateur signing period because of a 45-day negotiation window limitation. The Phillies have limited funds of $42,200 available in their '24 pool but have $6,261,000 allocated for 2025 if he posts later.

MLB.com's Mark Feinsand reported that West Coast teams and those with histories of signing Japanese players might have an advantage in attracting Sasaki. Although the Dodgers and Padres are seen as frontrunners, other interested parties include the Giants, Yankees, Mets, Blue Jays, Cubs, and Rangers.

Sasaki’s decision may not solely hinge on financial incentives due to contractual limitations; therefore he could potentially consider all MLB teams including those without prior NPB signings like the Phillies.

“There’s just so much talent over there,” Fuld reiterated about their strategic efforts in Asia aimed at enhancing future acquisitions from this rich talent pool.