It's hard to imagine Japanese ace Roki Sasaki wanting to come to the Red Sox based on their recent track record, writes John Tomase.
This is what happens when you neglect your big league roster for five years: a potential superstar like Roki Sasaki hits the market, and you're not a viable destination.Whereas countryman Yoshinobu Yamamoto broke the bank last winter to the tune of a $325 million contract with the Dodgers as a true free agent, Sasaki's earnings will be capped like Shohei Ohtani's were when he joined the Angels in 2017 for not even $2.5 million in international bonus money.
But the Red Sox have spent the last five years in a defensive crouch, awaiting the arrival of prospects and declining to invest in the major league product. They have a 353-355 record and one playoff berth to show for their caution, and now it's going to effectively eliminate them from the Sasaki sweepstakes before they begin.It will have nothing to do with money.
When they made their pitch to Ohtani in 2017, the Red Sox did so as legitimate contenders coming off a division title with a roster that included burgeoning young superstar Mookie Betts. A week before Ohtani made his choice that December, the Red Sox spent $217 million on former Cy Young Award winner David Price. No one could question the organization's commitment to winning..
With a fastball that has reached 102 mph and a 2.02 ERA over four seasons with Chiba Lotte, Sasaki has the stuff to front a rotation. He wowed during the 2023 World Baseball Classic, when he helped lead Japan to a title by striking out 11 in 7.2 innings. His fastball is high-octane, and his slider is electric. If there's any reason for caution, it's that he's never thrown 130 innings in a season, and at 6-foot-2, 187 pounds, is on the slender side.Those are issues for teams with a realistic chance of signing him to consider, however. The Red Sox aren't one of them.
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