Ex-Red Sox Executive Senses Roki Sasaki Turning Down NL Team

MLB front offices are scrambling to meet with Japanese free-agent pitcher Roski Sasaki this offseason. However, ex-Boston Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski suspects it might be time to call it quits for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Sasaki, a 23-year-old right-hander, will join the big leagues after a four-year run in NPB with the Chiba Lotte Marines. Widely regarded as the next major international star to join MLB, Sasaki garnered attention from some of baseball’s biggest markets, including the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Dombrowski, one of many interested in Saski, senses Philadelphia won’t get a chance to make its pitch to the international phenom.

“We have not been invited to talk to him at this point,” Dombrowski told reporters Friday on Zoom, per Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “I’m not making any proclamations because we haven’t been told, but we’re probably running a little bit late if we’re going to be invited to the table. We’ve sent in our original information to him that was requested. They know that we would very much like to have a presentation. So far, we haven’t been invited to the table.”

Sasaki already met with the Yankees after general manager Brian Cashman proudly announced the organization secured a meeting during its Max Fried press conference earlier this week. The New York Mets and Chicago Cubs are rumored to be among the presumed shortlist of suitors, so far, to be granted a sit-down with Sasaki. Both New York clubs are expected to be in hot pursuit of a World Series title next season while Chicago has also been busy, acquiring outfielder Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros this month.

With loads of pitching options to choose from this winter, Sasaki remains among the most intriguing of arms on the market. He went 10-5 with a 2.35 ERA last season in Japan, collecting 129 strikeouts while walking 32 across 111 innings. Sasaki’s career 1.95 ERA in NPB, 19-strikeout perfect game — the first ever thrown by a 20-year-old — and triple-digit velocity makes him a hot commodity.

The most attractive factor that’s prompting front-office urgency across the league comes in the form of Saski’s age and professional service time, which makes him an amateur free agent; meaning teams are only allowed to use the money allocated to them from the international bonus pool since Sasaki is under 25 years of age and has less than six seasons of professional playing experience.

So even though the Phillies have flirted with securing the Commissioner’s Trophy in recent years, Dombrowski might have to look elsewhere for a pitching addition.