Seattle Mariners target Roki Sasaki to negotiate with teams after winter meetings

The Seattle Mariners and 29 other teams began winter meetings on Dec. 9 and will continue to meet through Dec. 12 in Dallas.

The Juan Soto sweepstakes concluded the night before the meetings began, with the New York Mets winning his services with a record $765 million, 15-year contract.

Now that the race for Soto is over, much of the focus this offseason will be on who lands Japanese phenom and potential pitcher Roki Sasaki.

Sasaki was posted the day the winter meetings started. Sasaki has a 45-day window to negotiate with teams, but will not sign a contract until the 2025 international signing period begins on January 15.

According to a report from Francys Romero, Sasaki and agent Joel Wolfe are expected to meet with interested MLB teams as early as Dec. 15, three days after the end of the winter meetings.

Due to his age (23), Sasaki is only eligible for a minor league contract. He and the Nippon Professional Baseball team that posted him, the Chiba Lotte Marines, will make the most money from the signing bonus. The signing pool resets for teams after the 2025 period opens.

The sailors are one of the few teams with the maximum amount of signing pool money ($7.6 million). They can add 60% on top of the money they already have for a potential bonus pool of $12.16 million.

The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres have been considered the favorites to land Sasaki since his appointment was announced. But Seattle is also reportedly preparing a pitch for the NPB strikeout record holder.

If the Mariners sign the former World Baseball Classic gold medalist, they would add him to what was arguably the best starting rotation in baseball last season.

Seattle could opt for a six-man rotation with Sasaki to preserve the health of the starting pitchers. They might also be more willing to trade a starter for an elite bat.

Given the date Sasaki was assigned, he will have until January 23 to agree to terms with an MLB team. This time frame could open the door to unexpected developments in the negotiations.

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