Japanese ace Roki Sasaki to become available to MLB teams this offseason

Good to see the rules have been relaxed for Japanese baseballers heading to the MLB. Previously I think they had to have played something like 7 full seasons in Japan? Players were often burned out in their late 20s when they got to the US. The early 20s is definitely the best time to make the move.

Wishing Roki all the very best of luck in MLB!

Just hope he chooses someone other than the Dodgers or the Yankees.

Good to see the rules have been relaxed for Japanese baseballers heading to the MLB. Previously I think they had to have played something like 7 full seasons in Japan? Players were often burned out in their late 20s when they got to the US. The early 20s is definitely the best time to make the move.

Well, actually players have had that choice for some time now. Shohei Ohtani entered MLB earlier and thus had do settle for less money. Roki Sasaki will also get paid less than if he waited. Other Japanese baseball players who have gone to MLB in their later years got bigger contracts, as evidenced by Yamamoto's monster deal. There are positives and negative points on both sides.

@ patkim - thanks for the info. I remember years ago Hideki Matsui moving to the Yankees when he was 29. Had a great career, but can only imagine it could have been even better if he'd gone over at, say, 25. As you say, pros and cons.

Please go to Boston. We need pitchers badly.

Roki if you are looking at improving your game, no need to go to anywhere. Mate Japan baseball is where it is at. It as produce the greatest player of all time in Show time and many very high caliber players. If there was no import rule the whole of the MBL would have 90 % Japaneses. But if you are chasing the dollar the MBL is where it is at.

Good grief, is Sasaki going to the Dodgers? An open market would see teams throw vastly more at him. Sasaki is worth at least ten and perhaps even a hundred times what he will get at this point. But if the money pool is capped and the Dodgers have the most left under their cap, it’s hard to see him go anywhere else.

In another couple years, we can rename the Dodgers pitching staff as the Japanese all-stars.