Japanese right-hander begins 45-day signing window on Tuesday. 23-year-old RHP had a 2.35 ERA in 18 games in 2024 for Chiba Lotte, with 129 strikeouts and 32 walks in 111 innings.
Japanese right-hander Roki Sasaki was officially posted by the Chiba Lotte Marines to Major League Baseball on Monday, per multiple reports. MLB teams have a 45-day window during which to sign Sasaki, which begins Tuesday and runs through January 23 at 2 p.m. PT.
Chiba Lotte on November 9 originally announced plans to post Sasaki this offseason.
Teams are able to negotiate with Sasaki throughout the 45 days, but in reality, the windows during which he can actually sign are much smaller. Because Sasaki is just 23 years old and not yet 25, he does not qualify as a foreign professional and isn’t a true free agent — like Yoshinobu Yamamoto was last December.
Sasaki is thus subject to international bonus pools, which massively hinders his earning potential. Instead of signing a nine-figure major league contract, he’ll need to sign a minor league deal to start, and will need six years of major league service time before qualifying for free agency. The 2024 international signing period ends on December 15, so it’s technically possible for Sasaki to sign this year. But it’s been widely assumed that the right-hander will sign in the 2025 period, which begins on January 15.
Most teams have spent the bulk of their 2024 bonus pools, as this period began 11 months ago. The Dodgers still have $2.5 million to spend in this period, which is more than any other team.
In the 2025 international signing period, the Dodgers and Giants are tied for the lowest bonus pool available at $5,146,200. Eight teams are tied for the highest bonus pool at $7,555,500. All teams can trade for more international bonus space, up to 60 percent of their allotted pool.
Sasaki has long been rumored as a Dodgers target, and they are seen by many as the favorites to sign him. Ben Badler at Baseball America, for instance, lists the Dodgers as the most likely to land Sasaki, with the Padres, Ranger, Mets, Yankees, Orioles, and Red Sox also in the mix.
We’ll know where Sasaki will end up by January 23.