This season has been anything but sensational, from highest-value signings to unexpected ones. Right now it’s not any other MLB star who is taking the spotlight, but Roki Sasaki. The Japanese phenom who was posted by his team Chiba Lotte Marines is suddenly the apple of every MLB team’s eye. Why? Well, because he is considered one of the best pitchers in the world currently. Plus, he warrants an international amateur signing benefit and it has all teams ready to pitch for him. From the New York Yankees to the Los Angeles Dodgers, they are busy selling him a big dream.
However, it’s not going to be easy, and this isn’t a simple bidding war. One more team has entered the sweepstakes, and it’s the Detroit Tigers! President of Baseball Operations Scott Harris mentioned, “Every team in baseball wants to talk to him. We do, too.” He spoke about the sentiments of all of MLB and also mentioned that, as an organization, they are doing everything they can to ready a presentation to appeal to Sasaki and his agent.
The Detroit Tigers might indeed steal the Japanese phenom
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Harris knows that the competition is tough, but he is all in with regard to snatching the Japanese phenom. “Consider us interested in Sasaki. He’s one of the more talented young pitchers in baseball,” said Harris. Well, they do have a lot going on. Firstly, the Tigers have a great history of developing top pitching talent, revitalizing the careers of Jack Flaherty and Michael Lorenzen, for example. Plus, Reese Olson, who was a sixth-round pick by the Milwaukee Brewers, opened up to be a reliable starter after joining the Tigers. Furthermore, from a financial standpoint too, they are well-positioned to pursue Roki Sasaki. The Tigers also have an international bonus pool of $7,555,500—the highest in MLB. They are on the same floor as other top-spending teams like the Reds, so they definitely make a compelling case for Sasaki.
Another major advantage they have is that they are a mid-market team. Remember what Sasaki’s agent Wolfe had said during the winter meetings: “I think that there’s an argument to be made that a smaller, mid-market team might be more beneficial for him.” The reasoning for this might have been because Japanese media didn’t appreciate Sasaki wanting to transition to MLB so quickly, thus painting a bitter picture. So for Sasaki, a mid-market team like Detroit, where the attention isn’t that loud, may be the best thing.
Tigers’ biggest hurdle in Roki Sasaki’s pursuit
However, while the Detroit Tigers make a good case, they haven’t been a hotbed for Japanese talent. But that sure does seem to be changing slowly with them signing Kenta Maeda to a two-year deal last season. He was the first Japanese player to join the Tigers’ lineup after Hideo Nomo and Masao Kida. But that was back in 2000, so it’s sure been a hot minute. However, they did flirt with the idea once before, with Junichi Tazawa. The Tigers had got him on a minor league deal near the end of his career. But Maeda’s signing for sure was different – a first step into exploring the Japanese market.
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But expecting Kenta Maeda‘s connection to magically sway Roki Sasaki to the Detroit Tigers is not realistic. First, they don’t even share the same agent. Maeda’s agent is Scott Boras, and Sasaki’s is Joel Wolfe. They don’t have any connection between them apart from the fact that they’re Japanese. “I don’t think they would’ve crossed paths,” Wolfe said at the Winter Meetings, confirming Maeda and Sasaki have never met. However, one thing is for sure: the Tigers can win Sasaki over with their positive outlook. Harris, when Maeda signed, said, “If creating a first-class experience in this organization for Kenta and his family inspires other Japanese players to want to come to Detroit and play here, that’s great.”
Well, it remains to be seen if the Detroit Tigers can manage to clinch Sasaki. Will they be successful? Let us know in the comments what you think!