Roki Sasaki’s agent’s latest comments should further embolden Pirates

Roki Sasaki is the latest extremely hyped Japanese pitcher looking to make the transition from the NPB to Major League Baseball. Last year, the flamethrower pitched to a 2.35 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and 4.03 K:BB ratio in 111 innings. Sasaki had a 28.7% K% and 7.1% walk rate and allowed just two home runs. Believe it or not, this was his worst season (at least on a rate basis) since breaking into the league in 2021 as a 19-year-old. Sasaki was posted earlier this month for MLB teams to negotiate with over the next 45 days.

Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Pirates recently opened up a spot in their rotation after trading 2024 breakout starter Luis Ortiz. Sasaki makes a great fit for the Pirates for multiple reasons, but recent comments from his agent, Joel Wolfe, only further make the Pirates a potential (and even realistic) landing spot for Sasaki.

Sasaki has long stated he wants to join a team with that excels in pitching development, and because he opted to be posted ahead of schedule, money isn't an issue. The Pirates handled Paul Skenes and Jared Jones very well last season. They also helped Ortiz break out and have one of the deepest systems in baseball when it comes to pitching (even after trading two top-20 prospects, both of whom were hurlers). However, arguably the most important detail here is the hiring of Brent Strom, who has been renowned for his development of pitchers throughout his coaching career. 

Another noteworthy aspect the Pirates can offer Sasaki is a lower-pressure environment from the media. Sasaki was bombarded by the Japanese media, with things going so far as false rumors spreading about him and his family. This was mainly because the media saw it as disrespectful that he wanted to go to MLB at such a young age. At the Winter Meetings, his agent went so far as to say, “I think there’s an argument to be made that a small- or mid-market team might be more beneficial for him.” This may not completley rule out teams like the LA Dodgers, San Diego Padres, or either of the New York teams, but it may persuade Sasaki to sign elsewhere, given the media coverage that each of these teams gets. 

Pirates could swoop in and give Roki Sasaki a soft place to land

This is especially true for the Dodgers, who get a ton of Japanese media coverage with both Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the team. Japanese media coverage of the Dodgers is so strong that the World Series averaged nearly 13 million viewers in Japan (the most in the Nation’s history per ESPN) and even caused stations to delay the season premiere of the anime “One Piece,” a show that is extremely popular in both Japan and the United States. The US equivalent would be like if a season premiere of "Breaking Bad," "The Sporanos," or "Better Call Saul" was delayed for the WS.

But arguably the most important thing drawing the Pirates to Sasaki is that he will come cheaply. Sasaki isn’t old enough, nor has he reached the service time requirement, to sign a major-league contract. He can’t ink a sizable deal like previous Japanese aces including Masahiro Tanaka, Yusei Kikuchi, Kodai Senga, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Shōta Imanaga. Sasaki must sign a minor-league contract with a signing bonus. 

The signing bonus must also come from a team’s international spending pool, and the Pirates have one of the largest international pools among all MLB teams. On top of that, Sasaki’s signing bonus will likely hover around $3 million. For reference, Shohei Ohtani’s signing bonus was a meager $2,150,000 when he first signed with the LA Angels. The Pirates signed Yasmani Grandal for more last offseason.

Sasaki feels too good to be true for the Pirates, but his needs check every single box for the team. He seems to prefer a smaller-market team with less pressure from the media, wants to join a club with a pitching development infrastructure, and won't be expensive. Of course, that is arguably the most important thing Pittsburgh and Bob Nutting could hear.