8 Free Agents Red Sox Need to Target This Offseason
By Ryan Bunton
6. Roki Sasaki
Last offseason, the Boston Red Sox made a push to sign Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto – reportedly offering at least $300 million to bring the superstar stateside.
There is an important distinction between the Yamamoto sweepstakes last offseason and the race for Sasaki this offseason. The process for Japanese players to come to MLB can seem quite complicated – but in Sasaki's case, the best summary is this: it cannot be a bidding war.
Due to Sasaki's age (23) and the fact that he has not yet accrued six years of service time in a foreign league recognized by MLB, Sasaki's contract is limited by international bonus pool restrictions. This situation played out when Shohei Ohtani initially came to MLB in Dec. 2017. Ohtani, then 23 years old, only received a bonus of $2.315 million from the Los Angeles Angels. Sasaki's first MLB payday will fall far short of the 12-year, $325 million deal that Yamamoto signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Francys Romero reported in early October that the Red Sox were one of four teams that had traveled to Japan to scout Sasaki (along with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks, and New York Mets. At that time, the industry consensus was that Sasaki would likely not be posted this offseason. Now that his posting is a certainty, surely more suitors have entered the mix.
Sasaki has been sensational in Japan. The right-hander throws a fastball that tops out at 102.5 MPH, and has compiled a 30-15 record with a 2.02 ERA and 11.4 strikeouts per nine innings in Japan. In 2022, Sasaki threw 17 straight perfect innings while striking out 33 batters – including 13 straight.
Bob Nightengale put the Dodgers' odds at landing Sasaki at 98 percent, and ESPN's Buster Olney reported that "30 out of 30 teams believe he's going to the Dodgers." Still, there has been some pushback on that notion, and the Red Sox have to at least pick up the phone.