Japanese pitcher Loki Sasaki, who finished his search after the posting was announced, is conducting a full-fledged negotiation tour.
According to SNY reporter Andy Martino, the New York Mets are known to be the first team to meet Sasaki. “The Mets met with FA pitcher Sasaki today,” Martino said on the 20th (Korea time).
It is not known who led the negotiation team at the Mets or where they met, but nine days after the Mets succeeded in bringing in Juan Soto, they showed their willingness to recruit a “big-name” pitcher.
Earlier, after the posting process began on the 10th, Sasaki received presentation materials from interested clubs and began reviewing them.
In this regard, Sasaki’s agent Joel Wolf said at the winter meeting on the 12th, “Sasaki recently returned to Japan and is discussing how to proceed with negotiations. I think Sasaki will visit each city to negotiate directly after reviewing the proposals. We are still discussing Sasaki’s thoughts,” adding, “He has watched many major league games. I asked a lot of questions such as the weather, convenience, pitcher development system, etc. I am also watching the performance of Japanese players playing in the Major League.”
As a result, Sasaki is believed to have been the first to meet the Mets in New York.
The Mets are in high demand for starting pitchers. As Sean Munnaia, Luis Severino, and Jose Kintana are already in the FA market, there are only two left: Senga Godai and David Peterson. To this end, the Mets have set the outline of next year’s rotation by bringing in FA Clay Holmes (38 million dollars for three years), Frankie Montas (34 million dollars for two years), and Griffin Canning (4.25 million dollars for one year).
However, he needs to be a more powerful starter. The market has ace pitchers such as Corbin Burns and Jack Fleherty, but the Mets are all-in on Sasaki. MLB.com reported that the Mets, who are aiming to win their first World Series title since 1986, will build a one-two punch with Sengawa if they bring Sasaki.
The next team Sasaki will meet is the New York Yankees. Brian Cashman, the Yankees’ general manager, said he would meet with Sasaki soon, but did not reveal the date and location. Local media believe it will be early next week.
The two Goliath clubs in New York seem to have moved first, but in fact, Sasaki’s most influential clubs are the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres. According to a survey of high-ranking officials from 20 Major League teams by MLB.com , 11 chose the Dodgers, 7 San Diego, and 2 chose the San Francisco Giants and Texas Rangers as their destinations.
Of course, Sasaki’s financial ability doesn’t matter because he is an international amateur free agent under the age of 25 and has to sign a minor league contract. Small market clubs such as the Tampa Bay Rays and Kansas City Royals can also offer.
Recently, the Chicago Cubs announced that they would enter the Sasaki scramble. “We have already handed over the presentation materials to Sasaki and his agent Joel Wolf,” Cubs President Jed Hoyer said. “Seiya Suzuki and Shota Imanaga have had a great experience here. We think Sasaki’s destination is attractive.”
The same goes for the Cleveland Guardians. Cleveland, which recently signed an internal FA Shane Bieber for two years and 26 million dollars, also needs an ace. “If we have to bring in a talented player, the best way for us to do it is to pursue recruitment,” Cleveland President Chris Antonetti told MLB.com . The remarks are aimed at Sasaki, who does not actually need to spend a lot of money.
When Yoshinobu Yamamoto was on a negotiating tour centering on big market clubs last year, local media reported that a pitcher who did not throw a single ball in the 스포츠토토 Major League ranks No. 1 as an FA pitcher. The same holds true today. Sasaki is said to be competing with the existing FA Burns to rank No. 1. Pitchers who have never stood on the mound before are dominating the Major League as “super power packs.”
