Roki Sasaki may visit 1 or 2 teams before deciding which club he wants to sign with
Roki Sasaki, of Japan, pitches during their Pool B game against the Czech Republic at the World Baseball Classic at the Tokyo Dome in Japan Saturday, March 11, 2023. Credit: AP/Eugene Hoshiko
NEW YORK — Prized Japanese free agent Roki Sasaki may visit one or two teams before deciding which club he wants to sign with.
Sasaki's agent, Joel Wolfe, said Monday that 20 teams expressed interest in the 23-year-old right-hander, who listened this month to presentations from clubs with a two-hour limit at the office of Wasserman Media Group in Los Angeles.
Sasaki returned to Japan and is considering how he wants to proceed ahead of the signing window, which runs from Jan. 15-23. Wolfe said Sasaki is likely to narrow the field but might meet with one or two more clubs.
“He is definitely driving the ship and calling the shots,” Wolfe said.
Wolfe said Sasaki did not appear concerned with whether a team he was considering already had Japanese players. He asked that teams not have current players attend the meetings, which included general managers, managers, pitching coaches and biomechanics and performance training staffs.
Because Sasaki is under 25, he is subject to a minor league contract under the 2025 international signing bonus pools. Team figures range from $7,555,500 to $5,146,200, though they can start trading allocation on Jan. 15.
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Joel Wolfe, agent for Japanese player Roki Sasaki, speaks to reporters at the Major League Baseball winter meetings in Dallas, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. Credit: AP/Tony Gutierrez
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