Baltimore Orioles Listed as Possible Landing Spot For Roki Sasaki By Baseball America

There hasn't been much buzz about a possible Sasaki to Baltimore transaction, but BA did list the O's as one of their top possibilities.

A Baltimore Orioles batting helmet rests in a cubby in the dugout against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park in 2017. | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

After the new year hits, Japanese superstar Roki Sasaki is expected to be posted by the Chiba Lotte Marines. At that point, all 30 teams will have a chance to sign him. At 23 years old with a 100 MPH fastball and a devastating splitter, Sasaki is one of the most intriguing free agents we've ever seen come to the United States.

Furthermore, because he is coming over before the age of 25, he's bound by international signing rules, making him insanely affordable for all 30 teams.

It's been well speculated that Sasaki will end up with the Los Angeles Dodgers, or perhaps the San Diego Padres, but Baseball America did put the Baltimore Orioles on their list of most likely destinations.

There hasn't been much chatter about Sasaki to Baltimore but the publication had them as the No. 6 most likely team to sign him. They had seven competitors on the list and said these rankings came as a result of conversations from throughout the industry.

From the publication:

The Orioles have $6,908,600 in international bonus pool money, so they’re starting with an extra $647,000 in their pool than most of the clubs on this list and have the ability to trade for up to 60% more pool space.

That might ultimately be a negligible difference, but it does mean the ceiling of what they could offer Sasaki is $1,035,200 higher than any of the teams we have ranked above them and $2,819,840 more than the Dodgers. 

Where Roki Sasaki will sign is one of the most compelling stories of the offseason.

Which teams are the favorites to sign Sasaki?

Based on conversations with sources throughout the industry ... @BenBadler breaks down the 7⃣ most likely landing spotshttps://t.co/2LtFczgLn8

— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) December 2, 2024

The Orioles need help in the rotation, as they are likely to lose Corbin Burnes in free agency. If Sasaki were to head to Baltimore, he'd join Grayson Rodriguez and Kyle Bradish atop the rotation.

The O's have made the playoffs in each of the last two seasons.

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