Coveted Japanese right-hander Roki Sasaki may meet with one or two more teams before deciding which he wants to sign with in January, his agent Joel Wolfe said Monday.
Ahead of the Jan. 15-23 signing window, Sasaki listened to team pitches, each lasting up to two hours, over eight days this month at Wolfe’s office and might meet with one or two more, the agent said in an online interview with media.
Wolfe said 20 clubs sent him documents outlining their interest but declined to specify how many clubs met with the 23-year-old pitcher, who threw a perfect game in April 2022 and was posted by the Lotte Marines this offseason.
Screenshot shows Joel Wolfe, the agent for Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki, giving an online interview on Dec. 30, 2024. (Kyodo)
International players under 25 can only sign minor league contracts, making Sasaki even more intriguing.
The talented but injury-prone pitcher asked that clubs refrain from having current players attend the meetings.
Meanwhile, the San Diego Union-Tribune said Monday the Padres are one of the teams that met with Sasaki. The Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, New York Mets and Chicago Cubs are reportedly also in the running.
Roki Sasaki of the Lotte Marines pitches against the SoftBank Hawks in a Pacific League game at Zozo Marine Stadium in Chiba, near Tokyo, on May 5, 2023. (Kyodo)
Sasaki has returned to Japan where he plans to assess his options.
He pitched for Japan in the 2023 World Baseball Classic and had a career-high 10 wins against five losses with a 2.35 ERA in 18 games in 2024.
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