The New York Yankees are finalists in the running for Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki.
Though they may be viewed as long shots compared to West Coast teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres, the Bronx Bombers still have a chance.
With Sasaki’s first round of meetings concluded and as he prepares for another round of meetings with the finalists, the Yankees reportedly are among the “obvious front-runners” in the sweepstakes for the 23-year-old ace, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
Rosenthal also included the Dodgers, Padres, New York Mets and Texas Rangers along with the Yankees in the group of front-runners.
The Yankees were reportedly among the teams who met in-person with Sasaki over the last two weeks and while details of the meeting were not released, there was a report that the front office was at least satisfied with how it went, according to Jack Curry of YES Network.
However, Curry also reported that it seems likely Sasaki will favor a landing spot on the West Coast, specifically naming the Dodgers and Padres.
Sasaki, who grew up a fan of former Yankees ace Masahiro Tanaka, was posted before the age of 25, which means he’s subject to international bonus pool restrictions — rather than hitting the market as a free agent in the sense that Yamamoto did last offseason.
The Yankees reportedly “committed significant resources” to scout Saski throughout the 2024 season.
With a blistering fastball that reportedly has touched 103 mph and a devastating splitter, Sasaki has been a star in Nippon Professional Baseball. He has a career 2.10 ERA with 505 strikeouts and 91 walks in 394.2 innings pitched.
The Yankees have built up a strong starting rotation and though they may seem like long shots, the addition of Sasaki would go a long way both now and for the future.
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