His teacher came forward to bring in Rocky Sasaki (23, Chiba Lotte Marines). Darvish Yu (38, San Diego) started his career as an unofficial scout.
The Athletic, a U.S. sports media outlet, said on the 14th (Korea time) that “Darbitshu made a mention of Sasaki at a charity event with local elementary school students.”
“It’s good for him to come to San Diego,” Darvish said. “It’s good for me personally if that happens. We have to see how the situation unfolds.”
Darvish, who had to watch Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto transfer to the Los Angeles Dodgers, a rival team in the National League West, made an unusual official statement last year. This means that he is serious about bringing in Sasaki to strengthen his team’s strength.
Sasaki is the “pitcher’s biggest fish” that attracts the most attention along with Juan Soto (New York Mets), who signed the highest-ever contract in the Stove League. He is a pitcher who sprays fast balls up to 165 kilometers per hour and whose main weapon is a fork ball with no less power. In a game against the Orix Buffaloes on April 10, 2022, he struck out 19 in nine innings, leaving an impact strong enough to achieve a perfect game. Although he was injured this year, Sasaki was active with 10 wins, 5 losses and 2.35 ERA in 18 games and left such a career consistently.
Crucially, the low ransom is the reason why all big league teams are paying attention. According to the U.S.-Japan professional baseball agreement, Sasaki must sign an amateur contract as a player under the age of 25. The down payment is limited to 7 million dollars and he cannot receive more than the minimum salary for three years. It came out at a low price for the best sale and there is no reason why each club should not rush in despite the “glass body concerns.”
Darvish, who lost his Japanese teammates to the Dodgers, which boasts immense capital, expressed his determination to bring Sasaki back for sure. It has been reported before that Sasaki will go to San Diego. He has a special bond that goes beyond mere Japanese teammates.
Having played for the Japanese national baseball team for the 2023 World Baseball Classic, the two created special memories by winning a championship together. At that time, Darvish handed down a slider with a trademark to Sasaki. Although he boasts power that can be processed as a two-pitch type, he transformed himself into a more complete pitcher by adding sliders. This was a decisive moment for Sasaki to follow Darvish.
The Athletic paid attention to Darvish’s remarks. “There is no bigger scout than Darvish in San Diego,” the media said. “The best Japanese pitcher in MLB history met with Sasaki for the first time ahead of the 2023 WBC, and several team executives said Darvish is “fully participating” to persuade Sasaki. However, he seemed to underestimate his influence.”
“I don’t think there’s much I can do,” Darvish said. “Sasaki knows what he wants and will make a decision. I’m sure there will be some meetings for him. It’s an opportunity for him to see what our team is like. I’m sure he’ll make a decision and we’ll all respect that.” 스포츠토토
Still, the Dodgers is one of the strongest candidates for Sasaki. It is because Ohtani and Yamamoto are there and they are the “defending champions” who are closest to winning the championship. Moreover, it is hard to find a team like the Dodgers that can give Sasaki the biggest contract if the amateur contract ends.
However, expectations are pouring out that Sasaki may not want the Dodgers unexpectedly. The Athletic said earlier that Sasaki considers stability, lifestyle, security, and player development performance as his priorities, and this will have a big impact on determining his destination.
“Maybe he doesn’t want to join a group like Ohtani or Yamamoto. He might want to throw with Yu Darvish in San Diego. Or he might dream of becoming an ace in a small team and winning the Rookie of the Year award at the Chicago Cubs,” the media said.
There are so many great advantages of the Dodgers, but with the starting lineup full, Sasaki may not have enough opportunities if he is injured or sluggish early in the season. Clubs that are relatively dependent on them may be attractive, and among them, San Diego, where Darvish is located, is considered a strong candidate.
Several teams have reportedly sent presentations to Sasaki’s agent Joel Wolf. For the Chicago Cubs, Seiya Suzuki (30), a Japanese outfielder, and Shota Imana (31), a pitcher, reportedly persuaded them. Also, the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers are rising as potential candidates.
Darvish is a star player who won the Sawamura Award in 2007 while playing for the Nippon-Ham Fighters from 2005 to 2011. He is Japan’s representative pitcher who has won 110 games in a total of 12 seasons from the Texas Rangers to the Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs to the San Diego Padres after advancing to the big league in 2012. He is a star who can make a big impact on Sasaki’s decision.
“If I get a chance or if I’m asked to attend a meeting (with Sasaki), I’ll be in San Diego all offseason. I’m willing to do that,” Darvish said, expressing his willingness to recruit Sasaki.
As for Sasaki, he said, “We spent a lot of time at the WBC. We watched a lot of games together and had a very good conversation with him.”
