Pirates should be all over Japanese superstar Roki Sasaki after latest update

The Pittsburgh Pirates should be active this offseason. While many fans want them to go after a bat, the Pirates should seriously look into Japanese superstar Roki Sasaki because it could open up a long list of opportunities that would benefit a small market team.

According to Sasaki’s team, the Chiba Lotte Marines will soon post the ace pitcher to negotiate with Major League Baseball teams. But according to Jim Allen, a former writer for the Japan-based news site Daily Yomiuri, a source close to Sasaki states that a smaller market team with decent pitching development and set-up could be the best destination for the flamethrower.

That counteracts earlier indications that the Dodgers were nearly a done deal to acquire the right-hander, and it should give the Pirates a fighting chance.

Why Pirates can compete in Roki Sasaki free agent market

There are some misconceptions about Sasaki’s free agency that need to be addressed first. The Pirates would not be competing with the blank checks the LA Dodgers and San Diego Padres can offer. Sasaki can’t sign a major league deal, and any team that wants to sign him can only offer him a minor-league deal with a signing bonus with money from their international bonus pool. Sasaki is not considered a foreign professional since he has not reached the age or service time merits required to acquire that title, so he can’t sign a $300-$500 million mega deal.

For those saying the Pirates can’t/won’t compete with bigger market teams in terms of the signing bonus, just keep in mind that when Shohei Ohtani first signed with the LA Angels during the 2017-2018 offseason, he only inked a deal worth $2,315,000. The Pirates spent more on Rowdy Tellez last offseason. 

According to Baseball America, the Pirates will have one of the largest international pools to work with this offseason, as long as Sasaki's posting falls into the 2025 pool rather than 2024. The international signing period opens on January 15, and the Pirates will have $6,908,600 to work with.

Only eight other teams fall into the $7,550,500 pool. The Pirates can also make a trade to add up to 50% of their total international pool. Bob Nutting also does not pocket this money if it is not used, and the Bucs used all but about $100K of their allotted pool last offseason. To clear up any other confusion on international money or Sasaki’s free agency, J.J. Cooper of Baseball America has written a great article that explains many questions fans have asked.

With that out of the way, it’s pretty obvious why Sasaki would be huge for the Pirates. Sasaki has 414.2 innings pitched across four seasons with the Chiba Lotte Marines, working to a 2.02 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, and 5.76 K:BB ratio. Sasaki has struck out a hefty amount of batters with a 32.4% K% and a walk rate of just 5.6%. The righty is also immune to home runs with a 0.35 HR/9.

Sasaki can hurl his four-seam fastball into the triple-digits, but his best pitch is arguably his upper-80s splitter. He’ll also mix in a slider with above-average potential. Sasaki can locate well, as indicated by his strong walk rate. On top of all that, he has fluid mechanics and good athleticism on the mound.

This would also be an excellent investment for a small market team like the Pirates. It opens up a brand new market the Pirates have barely explored. The Japanese baseball market is massive, and the Pirates have never had a Japanese star of Sasaki’s caliber. The most recent World Series, which showcased two of NPB’s biggest former stars in Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, saw over 15 million viewers per game in Japan. When the Dodgers signed Ohtani last offseason, “sales of Dodgers merchandise across the Fanatics network in Japan, which includes MLBshop.jp, soared by more than 8,350%,” per the Japan Times. The last three Japan-born players the Pirates have rostered include Yoshi Tsutsugo (2021-2022), Hisanori Takahashi (2012), and Akinori Iwamura (2012). It's safe to say none of that trio had the same effect.

On top of opening up a brand new market the Pirates can make money in, the team would set themselves up to potentially get another draft pick. There’s an excellent chance Sasaki could be eligible for PPI (prospect promotion incentive). According to Baseball America, Sasaki would have to be rookie eligible (which he is) and appear on two of three of BA, MLB Pipeline, and ESPN’s top 100 prospect lists. J.J. Cooper stated that he will appear on their list, and will likely at least appear on Pipeline’s list, given Ohtani was the number one prospect on their list going into the 2018 season. Sasaki would then have to win Rookie of the Year or finish top three in Cy Young voting within his first three seasons in Major League Baseball. The Pirates would essentially be making a $2-4 million bet that they could get another draft pick in three seasons.

Lastly, this would make the Pirates even more flexible in moving their other young pitchers for bats. Adding Sasaki would lessen the blow of trading any of Luis Ortiz, Bailey Falter, Johan Oviedo, or even a top, high-end prospect like Thomas Harrington or Bubba Chandler. It would also let the Pirates assemble a super-rotation. Sasaki would likely slot in behind Paul Skenes and ahead of Jared Jones and Mitch Keller.

The only downside with signing Sasaki would likely be that he’d be on a workload similar to that of Jones or Skenes this past season. Sasaki has not pitched even 130 innings in a season, nor has he made more than 20 starts in one year. He isn’t fully stretched out to start 30 games or toss 180 innings. But that’s an easy workaround, especially given the Pirates' pitching depth, and the Pirates expertly handled both Skenes and Jones this year. That could also be a reason why Sasaki may show interest in a team like the Pirates.

This is an outstanding opportunity for the Pirates, not just based on adding to the Major League roster, but also on the business side as well. The Pirates can tap into a new market for a low cost while making a huge addition that not only would give their pitching staff a huge boost, but would also give fans a lot more hope and trust in the future.