Major League Baseball’s international amateur signing period lasts from Jan. 15 to Dec. 15, and Sasaki wasn’t posted until Dec. 8. The 2025 signing period will start on Jan. 15, and teams will have until Jan. 23 to reach a deal with the 23-year-old. This means Sasaki will sign during the 2025 period.

The 2025 bonus pools range from $7,555,500 for eight teams to $5,146,200 for teams like the Dodgers and San Francisco. The Dodgers are among the many teams interested in Sasaki.

“He’s someone that is obviously a major priority for us, and we’re going to do whatever we can, and know that there are a lot of other teams that are going to do the exact same thing,” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said at the winter meetings.

San Diego, with a $6,261,600 pool for next year, is seen as one of the favorites to sign Sasaki, along with the Dodgers. Sasaki’s agent, Joel Wolfe, said he expects Sasaki to “seriously consider” San Diego, where Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish plays and Hideo Nomo is a special adviser.

“I feel like the organization is in a really good place with Sasaki,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said at the winter meetings. “If there’s an open market competition to be had, I feel like we’re in a good spot for a multitude of reasons.

One, we’re in San Diego. We sell out our ballpark every night. We have a very competitive ballclub. It’s a chance for him to come in and create a legacy for himself to help win the first World Series.”

Most teams typically spend their international signing bonus allotment on Latin American players.

Other teams that had more than $500,000 unspent this year include San Francisco ($767,500), Boston ($740,000), Colorado ($647,800), and the Chicago White Sox ($640,000).

Atlanta, the New York Yankees, and Texas spent exactly their allotments. Teams are not allowed to exceed their bonus pools.

Fourteen teams had less than $100,000 unspent.

Players born from Sept. 1, 2006, to Aug. 31, 2007, were eligible to sign between Jan. 15 and Dec. 15, and signing bonuses of $10,000 or less didn’t count against a team’s allotment.

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“Having the opportunity to pitch at Dodger Stadium in the 2017 WBC against the American team was a dream come true,” he said through a translator. “That really solidified (my) feelings of wanting to pitch in the big leagues one day.”

Now Sugano is heading to the major leagues, but he will be joining a team on the opposite side of the country from Dodger Stadium. He has reached a $13 million, one-year deal with the Baltimore Orioles.

At 35 years old, Sugano will be eight years removed from that WBC game when next season starts. While his achievements in Japan are impressive, the question remains whether he can achieve similar results in the U.S.

Although Japan lost 2-1 in that WBC game in Los Angeles, Sugano gave up just one unearned run and three hits in six innings against a strong lineup, which included Christian Yelich, Nolan Arenado, Andrew McCutchen, Buster Posey, and Giancarlo Stanton. Also pitching that night for Japan was Kodai Senga, who has since found success with the New York Mets.

Some might think Sugano is past his prime, but he just had a third MVP season in Japan’s Central League. Last season, he went 15-3 with a 1.67 ERA for the Yomiuri Giants, walking only 16 batters in 156 2/3 innings.

“Obviously not a guy that throws 100 miles per hour, but (I’m) very confident in (my) control, command, (my) pitch mix,” he said. “That’s why (I’ve) had a lot of success in Japan. (I’m) not looking to really change anything now. (I want) to use (my) pitch selection, (my) pitch mix, (my) command, to pitch in the States and see where it takes (me).”

Sugano was posted by the Giants after the 2020 season and available for MLB teams to bid on, but he did not reach an agreement at that time. This time, he was a free agent.

If Orioles fans hoped Sugano might come with Roki Sasaki, the 23-year-old Japanese pitcher who can sign with MLB teams between Jan. 15-23, there’s no indication of that happening.

“I haven’t talked to him before, so I have no idea what he’s looking for and what his interests are,” Sugano said.

Sugano’s age may be one reason why his availability didn’t cause as much excitement as Sasaki’s, but he wasn’t completely unnoticed. San Francisco Giants manager Bob Melvin spoke about Sugano at the winter meetings last week.

“Look, he’s a fit for anybody’s bullpen, so we’ll see where things go,” Melvin said. “We have discussions about everybody, but, I mean, you see the success that the Japanese players have now and how instrumental they are in the big leagues, it seems like with every team now.

There’s no doubt he’s going to have some success. We’ll see where he goes. He’ll help any team that has the opportunity to sign him.”

It’s still unclear how Sugano will fit in with the Orioles. He was mostly a starter for his 12 years in Japan, and Baltimore’s rotation may need help with Corbin Burnes’ free agency and the fact that Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells are recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Sugano said he was attracted to the Orioles because they have a chance to win a World Series soon. Baltimore won the AL East in 2023 and made the wild card this year.

Sugano also said he’s excited to work with All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman in Baltimore. And he’s not worried about the fact that the left-field wall at Camden Yards will be a little closer next season.

“(I’m) a big groundball pitcher,” he said, “so not really fazed by that at all.”

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The Baltimore Orioles signed the star Japanese right-handed pitcher to a one-year, $13 million contract on Monday night. Sugano, who is 35 years old, is coming off an MVP season in Japan’s Central League, marking his third MVP win.

He spent 12 years with the Yomiuri Giants. After the 2020 season, the Giants posted Sugano, allowing MLB teams to bid for him, but he did not sign a deal at that time.

Last season, Sugano had an impressive record of 15-3 with a 1.67 ERA, walking only 16 batters in 156 2/3 innings. This MVP win follows his previous MVP awards in 2014 and 2020.

Sugano also played for Japan in the 2017 World Baseball Classic, where he gave up just three hits in six innings during the semifinal against the United States.

The Orioles are facing some pitching challenges after making the postseason in the past two years. Their ace, Corbin Burnes, is a free agent, and pitchers Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells both had Tommy John surgery last year. Grayson Rodriguez also missed time due to a lat injury.

If Burnes doesn’t return, the Orioles’ starting rotation could include Rodriguez, Zach Eflin, and Dean Kremer. How much more the Orioles add to their rotation this offseason is still unclear. Sugano is seen as a potential option with some upside, and the contract carries low risk. However, Sugano can’t be sent to the minor leagues without his approval.

In addition to the $13 million salary, Sugano has the chance to earn extra money through performance bonuses: $50,000 for an All-Star selection, $100,000 for winning a Cy Young Award, $75,000 for second place, $50,000 for third place, $50,000 for a Gold Glove, $100,000 for a World Series MVP, and $50,000 for a League Championship Series MVP. He will become a free agent when his contract ends.

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O’Neill’s contract is worth $49.5 million, divided equally at $16.5 million for each of the next three seasons. He also has a player opt-out option after the 2025 season. Sánchez’s contract is worth $8.5 million, and he is expected to serve as a backup to All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman.

“Pretty clearly two profiles we had been seeking going into the offseason,” said Orioles general manager Mike Elias.

O’Neill had a .241 batting average with 31 home runs and 61 RBIs while playing for the Boston Red Sox this past season. This was his first year with the Red Sox after starting his big league career with St. Louis. O’Neill made history by hitting a home run in his first game with Boston, setting a record for hitting a home run in five consecutive opening days.

The 29-year-old outfielder was named the American League Comeback Player of the Year in 2023, after missing much of the season due to leg issues and a concussion. He played only 72 games in 2023, but after being traded to Boston, he appeared in 113 games, which was the second-most games he had played in his career.

His highest total was 138 games in 2021, when he set career records in batting average (.286), home runs (34), RBIs (80), and stolen bases (15).

O’Neill’s ability to play both corner outfield spots will be important for the Orioles if they lose switch-hitting slugger Anthony Santander in free agency. O’Neill also bats from the right side, which complements the Orioles’ mostly left-handed hitters, including Gunnar Henderson, Colton Cowser, Jackson Holliday, Heston Kjerstad, and Cedric Mullins.

“They both bring tremendous amount of right-handed power and they’re good on both sides, both right and lefty pitch,” said Elias. “Extremely productive, Tyler in particular against left-handed pitching, and that’s something you look at the composition of the rest of our team was a relative weakness.”

Sánchez, who played for the Milwaukee Brewers last season, hit .220 with 11 home runs and 37 RBIs in 89 games. He has 184 career home runs and 485 RBIs over his 10 MLB seasons. Sánchez finished second in the American League Rookie of the Year voting in 2016 behind Detroit pitcher Michael Fulmer.

“Frankly, we needed another catcher with James McCann being a free agent, and I think it’s a good profile to match with Adley,” said Elias. “It’s good to have a Spanish-speaking catcher to pair with an American catcher. He had a good season with Milwaukee last year and drew a lot of good reviews from their players and coaching staff.”

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This person spoke to The Associated Press on Saturday but wished to remain anonymous because the agreement is still pending a successful physical.

O’Neill is set to earn $16.5 million each year for the next three seasons, with the option to opt out after 2025.

In addition, the Orioles have reached a one-year, $8.5 million deal with catcher Gary Sánchez, according to another person familiar with the negotiations. This person also requested to remain anonymous since the deal has not been officially announced.

O’Neill, 29, batted .241 with 31 home runs and 61 RBIs last season with Boston. It was his first year with the Red Sox after spending his first six seasons with St. Louis.

O’Neill can play in both corner outfield positions, which is important if the Orioles lose switch-hitting slugger Anthony Santander to free agency.

His ability to bat right-handed is also beneficial since the Orioles have several key left-handed hitters, including Gunnar Henderson, Colton Cowser, Jackson Holliday, Heston Kjerstad, and Cedric Mullins.

While O’Neill’s power is an advantage, his health is a concern. Injuries to his legs and a concussion limited him to 113 games last season, which was the second-most in his career. In 2021, he played 138 games and set career highs with a .286 batting average, 34 home runs, 80 RBIs, and 15 stolen bases.

O’Neill was named the American League Comeback Player of the Year at the annual Players Choice Awards from the Major League Baseball Players Association. He had played only 72 games in 2023 before being traded from the Cardinals to the Red Sox.

In his first game with Boston, O’Neill homered on his fifth consecutive opening day, setting a big league record.

O’Neill won Gold Glove awards in 2020 and 2021.

Sánchez is expected to be the backup catcher behind All-Star Adley Rutschman. Sánchez, who turned 32 on Monday, hit .220 with 11 home runs and 37 RBIs in 89 games for Milwaukee last season.

The post The Baltimore Orioles have agreed to a 3-year contract worth $49.5 million with outfielder Tyler O’Neill appeared first on Sports Al Dente.

Chirinos, 40, had an 11-year career as a major league catcher, retiring after the 2022 season with the Orioles. He played 714 games and had a .226 batting average, with 95 home runs and 306 RBIs. He also played for Tampa Bay (2011), Texas (2013-18, ’20), Houston (2019), the New York Mets (2020), the Chicago Cubs (2021), and Baltimore.

González had been with the Orioles for five seasons, including the last three as bench coach. The 60-year-old also managed the Florida Marlins from 2007-10 and the Atlanta Braves from 2011-16.

Despite struggling with pitching injuries, the Orioles finished second in the AL East with a 91-71 record in their sixth season under Hyde, but they were swept by Kansas City in the AL Wild Card Series.

Cody Asche has been named hitting coach after two seasons as the offensive strategy coach, taking over for Ryan Fuller and Matt Borgschulte. Tommy Joseph, who was the assistant hitting coach for the Seattle Mariners last season, will now be the assistant hitting coach for the Orioles.

Sherman Johnson has been promoted to assistant hitting coach/upper-level hitting coordinator from minor league upper-level hitting coordinator. Buck Britton, who has managed the Orioles’ minor league teams at Class A Delmarva (2018), Double-A Bowie (2019-21), and Triple-A Norfolk (2022-24), will now be a major league coach.

Returning to their positions are pitching coach Drew French (second season), assistant pitching coach Mitch Plassmeyer (second season), pitching strategy coach Ryan Klimek (third season), third base coach Tony Mansolino (fifth season), first base coach Anthony Sanders (sixth season), major league development coach Grant Anders (second season), and major league field coordinator/catching instructor Tim Cossins (seventh season).

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