A big obstacle in Roki Sasaki’s path to the MLB is the financial structure of the posting system for players under 25 years old. Unlike pitching sensations, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shota Imanaga who were posted in MLB just one year back, Sasaki the 22-year-old Marines’ pitcher won’t hold complete command of his contract negotiations.
Instead, he would be subject to international amateur signing rules which means that he can only sign a rookie contract with a signing bonus from the international bonus pool of the signing team. This restriction will significantly reduce the financial compensation available to both Sasaki and the Marines.
Shohei Ohtani is the only notable player to have navigated this route, foregoing a massive free-agent payday (which he made up for after signing a whopping $700 million contract) to join MLB early. Sasaki’s situation could be similar to this, as he would definitely need the Marines to agree to post him before his 25th birthday.
While there is speculation that Sasaki could be posted early, neither he nor his team have confirmed details of the same. At the same time, Joel Wolfe, who negotiated Yamamoto’s $325 million deal with the Dodgers, is rumored to be Sasaki’s potential agent.
Roki Sasaki’s potential suitors
Notably, Roki Sasaki also had a complicated offseason in 2024 with the Marines, with rumors suggesting that the pitcher wanted to be posted then itself. That said, with his 2025 offseason impending, several MLB teams are already positioning themselves to make a bid for Sasaki.
Yamamoto triggered a massive bidding war between the Yankees, Mets, and Dodgers, and Sasaki is expected to do the same, with Shohei Ohtani’s Dodgers being the front runners. Additional wild card entries could be through the Cardinals and Rangers.
Interestingly, Many industry insiders suggest that Sasaki has already decided to sign with the Dodgers. One GM confidently stated, “There’s no way he’s going anywhere else but the Dodgers. We all know it.” However, this assertion seems more speculative after taking a glance at the rumor mill.
Sasaki’s impressive stats over three NPB seasons—283.2 innings, 376 strikeouts, and a 2.00 ERA—make him an enticing prospect. His recent performances (2024), include a 2.18 ERA in 53.2 innings this season. Still, before he gets posted, MLB teams are going to take a long look at his health, and fitness. The NPB doesn’t have a pitch clock either, which has recently made MLL pitchers subject to a lot more injuries.
That being said, a bidding war is more than inevitable. But that could start only once Sasaki’s posting gets confirmed. What do you think will happen? Leave your comment below!
