Roki Sasaki’s posting is expected to stretch into the 2025 international signing period, according to baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred on Wednesday. This will give teams up to $7,555,500 to sign the highly sought-after Japanese pitcher.
“It looks like the timing will push the signing into the new pool period,” Manfred said in a news conference after a meeting with MLB owners.
If Sasaki were to sign this year, his maximum bonus with the Los Angeles Dodgers would be $2,502,500.
The Chiba Lotte Marines, part of Japan’s Pacific League, announced on November 9 that they would post Sasaki, a 23-year-old right-hander with a powerful arm. The posting period runs from November 1 to December 15, with players needing to reach an agreement within 45 days. Sasaki has not yet been posted.
In 2023, Sasaki posted a 10-5 record with a 2.35 ERA in 18 games, striking out 129 batters in 111 innings. During his appearance in the World Baseball Classic against the Czech Republic, he threw 21 pitches over 100 mph.
Because Sasaki is under 25, he will be treated as an international amateur free agent by MLB, meaning he is subject to bonus pool limits. The Chiba Lotte Marines will receive a posting fee from the MLB team that signs Sasaki, equal to 25% of the signing bonus.
The international signing period runs from January 15 to December 15, and many teams have already used up most or all of their bonus pool money for Latin American players earlier this year.
The Dodgers currently have the most remaining money in their 2024 signing bonus pool, leading some to suspect they may already have a deal in place for Sasaki. However, Dodgers president Andrew Friedman refused to comment on the amount of money left in their pool before the World Series.
“If there’s any reason to believe that there was a violation of one of our rules, we will thoroughly investigate and try to get to the bottom of it,” Manfred said.
Some teams have remaining pool money this year, such as Baltimore ($2,147,300), the New York Yankees ($1,487,200), and San Francisco ($1,247,500). Other teams, including Tampa Bay and Texas, have no money left.
In the 2025 signing period, teams like the Athletics, Cincinnati, Detroit, Miami, Milwaukee, Minnesota, Seattle, and Tampa Bay each have $7,555,500 to spend. Several other teams, including Arizona, Baltimore, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh, have $6,908,600 available, while the Dodgers and San Francisco have $5,146,200.
If a team already has an unofficial agreement with a Latin American player for a 2025 contract, they may back out of that deal to make room in their bonus pool for signing Sasaki.
