David Stearns Watched Roki Sasaki in September

Updated Post: Nov. 6

Mets president of baseball ops David Stearns told reporters on Wednesday that he traveled to Japan in September to watch star pitcher Roki Sasaki.

Updated Post: Nov. 4

According to Francys Romero, Japanese superstar pitcher Roki Sasaki declined an offer from the Chiba Lotte Marines of the NPB, who he’s played for since debuting in 2021. What this means for Sasaki’s future status is questionable. There is a chance he will be posted this offseason for MLB teams to make a run at him, but there is also a scenario where he continues negotiating with the Marines. 

The Mets heavily scouted the triple-digit flamethrower in 2024, dedicating significant resources in doing so. The 23-year-old Sasaki has a career 29-15 record in the NPB with a 2.15 ERA and 505 strikeouts since his debut in 2021. He pitched a perfect game in 2022 and was a member of the gold-winning Team Japan in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

If an MLB team signs Sasaki, he would only be able to sign a minor league deal because he is under 25.

Original Post: Oct. 24

In his article predicting contracts for the top 45 free agents, Jim Bowden of The Athletic mentioned that the Mets are among the teams that committed “significant resources” to scout Japanese sensation Roki Sasaki.

With the Chiba Lotte Marines missing the NPB playoffs, Bowden said that a decision will be made soon on whether or not the 22-year-old will be posted. According to Bowden, the Dodgers, Yankees, Red Sox, and Diamondbacks are also invested in scouting Sasaki. Since he is under the age of 25, Sasaki can only sign a minor-league contract in the States.

Sasaki, who boasts a triple-digit fastball that has topped out at 103 MPH, dominated his competition again in 2024. However, he missed two months due to an arm injury, a year after an oblique injury short-circuited his 2023 campaign, and he’s only eclipsed 100 innings twice in his career. All told, Sasaki turned in a 2.35 ERA with 129 strikeouts against 32 walks and allowed just two homers in 111 innings.

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