Seattle Mariners Preparing to Make Pitch to Roki Sasaki in Free Agency

The Mariners are considered a long shot to land the Japanese phenom in free agency, but the M's are apparently going to try anyways.

Japan starting pitcher Roki Sasaki (14) delivers a pitch during the first inning against Mexico at LoanDepot Park in 2023. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Seattle Mariners have a lot of holes to fill over the course of the rest of the offseason. The M's need help at first base, second base and third base, while also needing some help in the bullpen.

However, the M's have only about $15 million to spend in order to address all those needs, putting them in a very precarious position. The quickest and easiest way to get impact talent for the M's is by trading one of their excellent starting pitchers. Shedding any of Luis Castillo's $24 per year salary would help open up new avenues, and George Kirby and Logan Gilbert are both also rising up the arbitration ranks.

However, the M's have said consistently that they don't want to trade any of these pitchers, presenting a problem for them. How can they address their issues without spending significant money and/or trading a starting pitcher?

Enter Roki Sasaki, the 23-year-old Japanese flamethrower who is set to be posted before the new year. Because he'll only be subject to the international signing bonus rules, he'll be affordable for the Mariners and everyone else. Though the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres are seen as the favorites for Sasaki, the Mariners are planning to go after him, according to Adam Jude of the Seattle Times:

The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres are considered the front-runners to sign Sasaki, butthe Mariners are preparing to make a pitch to Sasaki and his camp.

Bottom line: It’s a longshot, but if Sasaki were to sign with Seattle, that would surely change the dynamics of the Mariners’ offseason — and potentially open the door to a trade of one of their established starting pitchers.

Key questions for the Mariners heading into the MLB Winter Meetings:https://t.co/6EKqR4Emvn

— Adam Jude (@A_Jude) December 6, 2024

Yes, it's a long shot, but it also would open up other avenues for the Mariners. Sasaki throws 100 MPH and features a devastating split-finger. The Mariners have had success with Japanese players in the past, including future Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki.

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