By most metrics, Roki Sasaki is the dream free agent target to land this winter. Although transitions for overseas leagues to MLB can be tricky and, in many cases, ungraceful, Sasaki is coming over to the States with such a loaded resume (perfect game in 2022, two-time All-Star, holder of the world record for consecutive strikeouts in a single game) that’s it hard to envision a complete crash-out even if he takes some time to get comfortable.

Sasaki is just 23 which means he was posted as an amateur free agent. He can only sign a minor league deal and receive international bonus pool money ($6,261,600 for the Red Sox in 2025), which means any team in their right mind should be trying to sign him.

Twenty teams have reportedly reached out to Sasaki (we’d like to have a talk with the spare 10, because they’re clearly not in their right minds), but only around seven have gotten an in-person meeting with him. The Red Sox are not among them.

Still, the Sox are said to be “very serious” about signing Sasaki and have yet to be told that they’re officially out of the running. So where does that leave us?

Red Sox still in limbo as clock ticks down on Roki Sasaki’s signing window

Jon Morosi wrote on Tuesday that he was “hearing Rōki Sasaki has spoken with at least one team beyond the previously reported list of the Dodgers, Padres, Giants, Mets, Yankees, Cubs, and Rangers,” but we should probably take that with a grain of salt, since there are still 13 other clubs including the Red Sox in the chase.

Sasaki’s signing window opens on Jan. 15 and closes for good on Jan. 23, so there’s not too much time left before a decision must be made if he hopes to play stateside in 2025. Worst-case scenario, he completely ghosts anyone still waiting to hear about a meeting before just signing with his chosen team, but he’s expected to hold more in-person meetings before Jan. 23, so the Sox may still have a shot here.

Boston has certainly put together a better offseason than at least a few of the teams who have already met with Sasaki, but now it’s just a waiting game. On one hand, it’ll be nice to not have to sit in the suspense for an indefinite amount of time, but on the other, the Sox are going to have to hold onto hope that Sasaki will take an in-person meeting. If they get one, their pitch had better be good.