The Boston Red Sox have been linked to plenty of major free agents on the pitching market but have yet to close a deal.
As Corbin Burnes, Jack Flaherty, Walker Buehler and plenty of others negotiate with potential suitors, with the Sox occasionally in the mix, Boston may have something else planned. Japanese pitching phenom Roki Sasaki was posted as an amateur international free agent during the Winter Meetings, and even the lowest-budget teams are expected to contend for his services.
According to Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com, "the Red Sox are very serious about making a pitch to the Sasaki team." Mayo believes Boston will zero in on the team's newly revamped pitcher development program and past successes with Japanese pitchers like Daisuke Matsuzaka and Koji Uehara as part of its pitch to the righty.
The 23-year-old flamethrower would be a great fit for the Sox given the current state of the team — he's young, inexpensive (for now) and controllable. Sasaki is only eligible to sign a minor league deal given his young age, which means his salary can be no larger than seven figures and limited to international bonus pool money.
Red Sox are 'very serious' about their pursuit of Roki Sasaki
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— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) March 20, 2023
Roki Sasaki is not messing around tonight 😳🔥 pic.twitter.com/yIP4FHjCbh
Sasaki has pitched to a 2.10 ERA over his four seasons with the Chiba Lotte Marines over his four seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball. He's fanned a staggering 505 batters in 394.2 innings for an excellent 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings. His blistering fastball reaches triple-digit velocity and his wipeout splitter is its perfect complement.
Garrett Crochet, Sasaki and Tanner Houck would be a deadly top three at the front of Boston's rotation. Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow scouted Sasaki personally, and his prioritization of pitching could put Sasaki at the very top of the Sox's want list.
Sasaki's agent said the young star may benefit most from signing with a small market team due to the nature of his relationship with Japanese media. Despite spending like one, the Red Sox are far from a small market, but they don't receive the same level of national attention as the Yankees and Dodgers. Boston's chances to land the young ace are slim, but the news that it's taking its pitch to Sasaki seriously is exciting for Red Sox Nation.