Japanese ace Roki Sasaki headed to MLB next season; LA Dodgers ‘heavy favorites’ to sign superstar pitcher

Japanese ace pitcher Roki Sasaki will make his big MLB splash in the international market as a free agent next season.

Japanese ace Roki Sasaki headed to MLB next season; LA Dodgers ‘heavy favorites’ to sign superstar pitcher

Roki Sasaki [Image Credit: The Japan Times]

Japanese superstar rookie pitcher Roki Sasaki will be available to all 30 MLB teams this offseason. His minor league record has made him one of the most coveted free agents in the international market this year.

Everyone in the MLB world will keep an eye out to see which team Sasaki ends up joining. Although the Los Angeles Dodgers seem to be the “heavy favorites” to land the ace pitcher due to their connection to their team’s Japanese players.

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The Chiba Lotte Marines will begin the posting process of Sasaki soon, which is basically preparations for a move of a player to the big league. However, since Sasaki is under 25, it will limit his contract fees.

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He will not be able to sign millions of dollars of deals worthy of his ace stature due to being 23 years old. According to MLB rules, an international player has to be 25 or above to sign a major league league with any MLB team.

A prime example of this would be Japanese superstars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Ohtani, like Sasaki tested the international market at the age of 23. At that time he signed a $2,315,000 deal with the Los Angeles Angels in 2016.

Yamamoto, on the other hand, completed his offseason with the Orix and entered the international pool at 25. He was not subject to any salary restrictions and signed a 12-year $325 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

As for Roki Sasaki’s case, he’ll face salary restrictions and the Marines will get a percentage fee for posting him in the international market. The fee is generally decided with the contract amount in hand.

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While it’s unclear which team Sasaki will end up joining, he’ll have a 45-day window to decide. The signing period ends on December 15 and the 2025 window will start on January 15.

Roki Sasaki thanks Chiba Lotte Marines as pitcher heads out to MLB 

Roki Sasaki, nicknamed “The Monster of the Reiwa Era” is finally entering his career’s starting line in Major League Baseball. His records and reputation in the minor league had the MLB teams waiting to sign him up immediately.

Roki Sasaki
Roki Sasaki [Image Credit: LA Times]

They’ll surely get their chance very soon, as Sasaki has started proceedings to enter the international market. The 23-year-old is widely known for his fastball that records 100 mph, an overwhelming splitter, and an ever-improving slider.

Before making his MLB entry, he made sure to go on social media and thank the team for all their support. He noted on the official Chiba Lotte X account how grateful he is for everyone’s support in his journey to the big league.

I am grateful to the team for officially allowing me to post…There were a lot of things that happened, but I was able to get to this point by focusing solely on baseball, with the support of my teammates, staff, front office, and fans, so I don’t have any regrets in my baseball career.

Roki Sasaki on Chiba Lotte X account
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Noting when his posting time will be confirmed, Roki Sasaki’s free agency period can collide with ongoing free agency buzz. No matter when Sasaki gets posted, he is sure to intrigue all 30 MLB teams. However, it is unclear if he’ll join the Dodgers like his fellow countrymen, or end up taking a different route.