Padres Pitching Target Roki Sasaki Officially Hits Free Agent Market

The long wait is over. Japanese pitching sensation Roki Sasaki has officially been posted and will now have 45 days to sign with a team. The pitcher will until Jan. 23 to sign with a team now.

Roki Sasaki has been posted. The window runs from December 10th until 5:00 p.m. (ET) on January 23
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 9, 2024

With Sasaki posting at this time, the Padres can begin the process of trying to bring him to San Diego. The Friars are seen as one of the favorites to land the Japanese star, with starting pitcher Yu Darvish likely to play a big role in helping to land him.

In addition to the Padres, there will be a few other teams vying for his services. The National League West division rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers, are also seen as one of the favorites to land Sasaki.

San Diego will do whatever they can to convince Sasaki to not head to Los Angeles. However, some in the industry believe that Sasaki has already made his mind up about joining the defending champions.

ESPN MLB insider Buster Olney reported this news recently.

“But there is widespread industry belief – correct or not – that Sasaki has probably already picked a team, and it’s most likely the Dodgers,” Olney said.

It's hard not to be excited about the thought of Sasaki considering he is just 23 years old. The right-hander is considered to be one of, if not the, best pitcher to come out of Japan and the league has been waiting for him for years.

Sasaki showed off his skills on the biggest stage during the World Baseball Classic and he dominated throughout. Being 23 years old, Sasaki is forgoing more money by leaving for MLB early.

Much like Shohei Ohtani did years ago, Sasaki will not be eligible for a massive contract due to him being considered an "amateur". Any player who is younger than 25, or has not played as a professional in NPB for a minimum of six seasons is only subject to international bonus pool money.

With his contract being so low in the negotiation process, almost any team will be able to enter the bidding. But like many Japanese players, many believe that Sasaki prefers to be on the West Coast.

Most in the industry believe that the pitcher will either go to the Padres or Dodgers. It will be a NL West battle once again and maybe San Diego will come out on top this time.

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