Inside The Rangers

Texas Rangers Become Latest Team Informed They Will Not Sign Japanese Phenom

The Texas Rangers were informed on Monday afternoon that they are now out of the race for the Japanese phenom.
Dylan Sanders|
Mar 20, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Japan starting pitcher Roki Sasaki (14) delivers a pitch during the first inning against Mexico at LoanDepot Park.
Mar 20, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Japan starting pitcher Roki Sasaki (14) delivers a pitch during the first inning against Mexico at LoanDepot Park. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

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Texas Rangers

The Texas Rangers gotten the last news they wanted to receive as Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki informed them he would be signing somewhere else.

Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reported this on Monday afternoon, which now allows the Rangers to shift their focus elsewhere.

There is a growing list of teams that are getting their officials no's from Sasaki.

Texas has been joined by the New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants, New York Mets and Arizona Diamondbacks as teams eliminated from contention.

Unsurprisingly, it is looking more and more likely he will end up on the West Coast with either the San Diego Padres or Los Angeles Dodgers.

At least no other teams in the AL West are candidates to sign him, and it appears as though he will avoid the AL as a whole, which is good news for the Rangers since that limits the times they will have to face him in important games.

The 23-year-old would have been an incredible addition to the Texas pitching staff, however, so getting rejected does still sting.

He has a career 2.02 ERA in Japan over 414.2 innings pitched. His status as a prospect is up there with Stephen Strasburg and Paul Skenes.

The Rangers will now enter the season banking on Nathan Eovaldi continuing his solid play and Jacob deGrom finally having a healthy year in Texas.

When they are both pitching, they are certainly one of the best duos in the league.

The Rangers should be fine across the pitching staff without Sasaki.

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Dylan Sanders
DYLAN SANDERS

Dylan Sanders graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree from the Manship School of Mass Communication in 2023. He was born in raised in Baton Rouge, LA but has also lived in Buffalo, NY. Though he is a recent graduate, he has been writing about sports since he was in high school, covering different sports from baseball to football. While in college, he wrote for the school paper The Reveille and for 247Sports. He was able cover championships in football, baseball and women's basketball during his time at LSU. He has also spent a few years covering the NFL draft and every day activities of the New Orleans Saints. He is a Senior Writer at Inside the Marlins and will also be found across Sports Illustrated's baseball sites as a contributing writer. You can follow him on Twitter or Instagram @dillysanders

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