Lucky Break For the Mets: Team Almost to Pull Off the Ultimate Trade with Star International Ace
The New York Mets are looking to address their pitching this offseason, and they could land the top international free agent at a very low cost.
The Mets could be in the running for Roki Sasaki
Japanese star pitcher Roki Sasaki is expected to sign very soon. He was posted to MLB free agency last week and has until Jan. 23 to sign with a big league club. Given that he is only 23 years old, he can’t sign a contract worth more than an international amateur, so a team could get a potential frontline starter for cheap.
The Mets are certain to be in the mix for Sasaki as they look to bulk up their rotation after signing Juan Soto to a mega-deal. However, his agent Joel Wolfe recently suggested that a small market team could be a better fit for him, which could complicate things for the Mets.
“The Padres are now seen as a real threat for Sasaki, but that hasn’t stopped the Yankees, Mets— and of course, the Dodgers — from making their pitch for a player who figures to be on a path similar to Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who signed a $325 million deal with the Dodgers last offseason,” Dan Martin of the New York Post wrote.
Sasaki would be a huge addition for the Mets
Sasaki was one of the top pitchers in the NPB, and he has the makings of becoming an ace-level pitcher in MLB. Last season, Sasaki posted a 2.35 ERA and struck out 129 batters in 111 innings pitched.
If the Mets were to land Sasaki, he would be the second Japanese free-agent pitcher that they secured in three years, as Kodai Senga is also in their rotation and is currently tabbed as the team’s ace. Sasaki would instantly become at least the No. 2 starter and could make their rotation a much deeper unit.
The Mets have tried to fortify their rotation with a pair of depth signings in Frankie Montas and Clay Holmes, both of whom figure to be key parts of the starting rotation. Sasaki could be next on their list, but they will have to present a strong pitch to convince the Japanese prodigy to play in a large media market like New York.
