NEW YORK (AP) — Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki has ruled out signing with the New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, and San Francisco Giants.
San Francisco Giants General Manager Zack Minasian confirmed Monday during a press conference introducing Justin Verlander that the team was no longer in contention.
Sources familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press that Sasaki has also eliminated the Yankees and Rangers from consideration. These sources spoke on the condition of anonymity, as Sasaki’s final destination has not yet been publicly announced. The Yankees’ elimination was initially reported by the YES Network.
The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres are now seen as front-runners to sign the 23-year-old right-hander, with the Toronto Blue Jays also in the mix.
Under Major League Baseball’s international amateur signing rules and the agreement between MLB and Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), Sasaki is eligible to sign with an MLB team starting Wednesday at 9 a.m. EST, with the window closing on Jan. 23 at 5 p.m. EST.
Sasaki, classified as an international amateur due to his age and less than six seasons in the NPB, can only sign a minor league deal governed by international signing bonus pools. These range between $7,555,500 and $5,146,200. Teams can increase their bonus pools by up to 60% through trades once the signing period begins.
Sasaki’s agent, Joel Wolfe, has not disclosed the teams still under consideration, though reports suggest he has met with the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs.
Known for his fastball, which reaches speeds over 100 mph, Sasaki posted a 10-5 record with a 2.35 ERA in 18 games last season, striking out 129 batters in 111 innings despite being limited by shoulder inflammation. Over his four injury-affected seasons with the Chiba Lotte Marines, he has a career record of 29-15 with a 2.10 ERA.
