Quality starting pitching is at the top of the Red Sox' shopping list this offseason, and one of the best options on the market is young Nippon Professional Baseball ace Roki Sasaki.
The Japanese sensation first gained attention in the West when he appeared in the 2023 World Baseball Classic as a 21--year-old. In his appearances, he lit up the radar gun, clocking triple digit fastballs with ease. He struck out 11 batters over 7.2 innings in the tournament, tied for third-most in WBC history.
Rumors recently emerged that the Red Sox, along with the Yankees, Dodgers, Mets and Diamondbacks, had extensively scouted Sasaki within the last month. MLB insider Jim Bowden named Boston among the prime destinations for the young ace.
Because of MLB's international free agent rules, Sasaki would only be eligible to sign a minor league deal this offseason, as he's still under 25 years old. This makes him an especially coveted target, as he's not only exceptionally talented but also affordable.
MLB insider Jim Bowden names Red Sox as top free agent destination for 22-year-old Japanese ace Roki Sasaki
79 seconds of Roki Sasaki's 100mph Fastballs (or higher). ⛽️ pic.twitter.com/VGHphmJTIt
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 21, 2023
Sasaki's resume in Japan is outstanding. In just under 400 career innings in NPB, he has a 2.10 ERA, 0.894 WHIP, and 5.74 strikeout to walk ratio. He's struck out over 32% of the batters he's faced, and he's only allowed 15 home runs in four seasons. With how well other recent transitions from NPB to MLB have gone for guys like Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Kodai Senga and Shota Imanaga, there's no reason to believe he'll struggle to adjust to MLB if he chooses to switch leagues this year. Moreover, he'd be an immense improvement to a Red Sox rotation that was a severe weakness last year.
If Sasaki decides to come to MLB this offseason, the Red Sox won't have to worry about competing with the extravagant spending of the Yankees, Dodgers or Mets, because he's only eligible to receive a minor-league deal. It's exactly what the Red Sox need — the ability to sign a potentially franchise-altering player without paying top dollar for him. All that's left to do is convince him that Boston is the best place for him.
Of course, there's still the possibility that Sasaki remains in Japan. If he opts to wait until he turns 25, which will be in 2026, he'll be a true free agent, exempt from bonus pool restrictions. This would no doubt lead to a bidding war of massive proportions between big-market clubs for his services. Additionally, he's missed time with injuries in each of the last two seasons, and he's still relatively inexperienced. Yamamoto, Senga and Imanaga all had more than twice as many innings under their belts as Sasaki does now when they made the move to MLB.
Sasaki coming to Boston would be a dream come true. But even if he decides to leave Japan, the Red Sox will have to convince him that they're committed to winning, which might be difficult given the front office's recent history. So don't start selling the jerseys just yet.