What is happening with Roki Sasaki? With the NPB version of Spring Training starting in a few weeks, Sasaki made an announcement that he will be opting out of the players union. This is not uncommon for players who are entering free-agency and preparing to be posted for MLB, it is uncommon for a young player with only a few seasons playing in the NPB.
Sasaki hinted in December of 2023 that he would like to be posted early for the MLB. It is understandable with the signings of Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shota Imanaga for big contracts in the MLB. With all the reports I have read, it is unclear what Roki Sasaki and his team the Lotte Marines are doing. There are more questions than answers on what’s really going on. What is clear, Sasaki is trying to renegotiate his contract to add the “Ohtani clause” into it, and right now Lotte and Sasaki are struggling to get that done before the start of the NPB’s spring training. If Lotte and Sasaki don’t come to an agreement by February first, Sasaki will participate in spring training at his own expense and if Sasaki voluntarily retires, Lotte will still retain his rights for the next three years.
Sasaki should stay with Lotte for at least one to two more years. Even though he has demonstrated signs of greatness, he has only pitched one full season in the NPB. Last season he pitched 15 games during the regular season and there were times he couldn’t rotate due to blisters and muscle strains in his right hand. This tells me he needs to build his muscle mass a bit and increase his stamina. There is no question, Roki Sasaki has the ability and incredible pitching ability to be a dominate pitcher in the MLB, but in my opinion, he needs a little more time to build his physical fitness up to be truly ready for his trip across the Pacific to the states.
For Dodger Daily, I’m Mike Salas
