Winter Meetings Roundup: Stearns Talks Sasaki, Arenado on the Move?

This article has been updated to reflect comments from David Stearns.

Roki Sasaki, a 23-year-old Japanese fireballer who was posted to MLB teams, might have an easier time in a smaller market, his agent Joel Wolfe told reporters Tuesday in Dallas at the MLB winter meetings.

Sasaki, who is reportedly favoring the Dodgers and Padres, is an international amateur, which means he can only sign a minor league contract that is subject to international signing bonus pools that are usually reserved for teenage Latin American prospects. The pools, which vary by team, range from $5,146,200 to $7,555,500. The Mets have $6,261,600 in their pool.

“Roki’s had a tough go of it the last couple of years,” Wolfe said. “The media in Japan has been very tough on him. He’s not had a great time with it. And I think it’s my personal opinion I think it’s been a bit unfair. And it’s affected him mentally a little bit. But he’s a great kid and he comes from a great family … his dream is to come here to the major leagues and I think that he hasn’t really wrapped his head around the individual teams and the individual cities and he just really doesn’t know much about them.”

Sasaki went 29-15 with a 2.10 ERA and 0.89 WHIP in four seasons in the NPB. He had 505 strikeouts in 394.2 innings. He threw a perfect game against the Orix Buffaloes in April 2022, striking out 19, including 13 in a row. His fastball has been timed at 102.5 mph.

Later in the day, David Stearns noted that Sasaki is a “really talented pitcher.”

“Whoever gets him is going to have a very talented young pitcher going forward,” he said. “We’re certainly going to give it our best shot,” noting that it’s going to be difficult to gauge Sasaki’s interest given his unique situation coming stateside.

Sasaki will start meeting with teams next week, but teams will have to submit their presentations to Sasaki first, then teams will be offered a chance to meet by invitation only.

Though he’s already been posted by the Chiba Lotte Marines, the 23-year-old will sign as part of the international free agent class starting January 15. The absolute last day he can sign with an MLB team will be January 23.

Sasaki was in the US briefly to play in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, but Wolfe said it wasn’t long enough to get a feel for where he’d like to play in this country. He said he would not necessarily go to a team that could offer him the most bonus pool money.

“My advice to him is don’t make a decision based on that because the long-term arc of your career is where you are going to earn your money. So it’s probably not advisable to make a short-term decision in that regard. To take all of the factors into consideration.”

He said a smaller market might offer Sasaki a “soft landing,” but he hasn’t yet had a chance to speak with his client in great detail. In response to a follow-up question, he also said the pitcher could handle playing in New York.

When Shohei Ohtani joined the Angels in 2016, he received a $2.3 million signing bonus. Sasaki’s former club, the Chiba Lotte Marines, will receive a posting fee equal to 25 percent of the signing bonus from the team that acquires him.

“Since I joined the team, the team has been listening to my thoughts about my future MLB challenge, and I am very grateful to the team for officially allowing me to post,” Sasaki said in a statement the Marines posted on X on Nov. 9.

“There were many things that did not go well during my five years with the Marines, but I was able to get to this point by concentrating only on baseball, with the support of my teammates, staff, front office and fans. I will do my best to work my way up from my minor contract to become the best player in the world, so that I will have no regrets in my one and only baseball career and live up to the expectations of everyone who has supported me.”

Nolan Arenado Notes

Wolfe said Nolan Arenado‘s focus is on winning and that he is willing to play first base if it helps trade negotiations. The agent said the Cardinals are allowing him to speak to other teams directly to help facilitate a trade.

“A team that he thinks is going to win now and consistently for the remainder of his career,” Wolfe said when asked where a preferred destination for Arenado would be. “He wants a team that has the throttle down.”

Arenado, 33, hit .272/.325/.394 this season with 16 home runs and posted 2.5 bWAR. He has three years and $74 million remaining on his contract.

Seiya Suzuki Notes

Wolfe said Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer told him which teams are interested in Seiya Suzuki, who is not interested in being a designated hitter and has a no-trade clause.

“It’s a small universe where Seiya would consider going,” Wolfe said.

Suzuki, 30, hit .283/.366/.482 with 21 homers and put up 3.5 bWAR.

The post Winter Meetings Roundup: Stearns Talks Sasaki, Arenado on the Move? appeared first on Metsmerized Online.