Orioles Long Shot Target Informs Yankees and Mets He Won't Sign With Them

The Baltimore Orioles got some great news on Monday afternoon with two of their potential threats for the top free agent in baseball seemingly eliminated from contention.

According to a report from Jack Curry of YES Network and further information from Will Sammon of The Athletic, both the New York Yankees and New York Mets have been eliminated from contention for Japanese sensation Roki Sasaki, with the Yankees being told directly they are out of the running.

At the very least, Sasaki not ending up in the division with the Orioles' most heated rival is a positive, but perhaps Baltimore is still in the race for his services as well.

Last week, it was reported Sasaki had met in person with at least one 'mystery team" in addition to the expected list of serious suitors including the Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers, San Diego Padres, and Chicago Cubs.

After signing Sasaki's fellow countryman, Tomoyuki Sugano, earlier this offseason and still in need of pitching, it stands to reason why the Owould at the very least be involved in the pursuit.

It's an uphill battle going up against some of the biggest market teams in baseball, but from everything previously known about the sweepstakes, market size was not going to be a factor which influenced Sasaki from one team to another. He could even prefer a smaller market club who can develop him.

Money is certainly not a factor with Sasaki's amateur status capping what he's able to make and thus leveling the playing field between teams financially.

While Yoshinobu Yamamoto received the largest contract for a pitcher in history last offseason from the Dodgers at 12 years and $325 million, this will not be the case for Sasaki due to his age and limited earning on his first contract.

Regardless, before the addition of Sugano, Baltimore did not have much of a case over teams like Los Angeles or the Cubs and Padres who also offer Japanese teammates who have become stars in their own right.

With a 2.02 ERA in four years of professional baseball in Japan, it's easy to see why every club in baseball is after Sasaki. He also boasts a staggering career WHIP of 0.883 with the ability to strike batters out with ease, averaging over 11 K's per nine innings.

The Orioles are certainly a long shot, but that doesn't mean they're a no shot, so every team who gets eliminated from the pool is good news for Baltimore.