{"id":12195,"date":"2024-12-19T03:11:24","date_gmt":"2024-12-19T03:11:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=12195"},"modified":"2024-12-19T03:11:24","modified_gmt":"2024-12-19T03:11:24","slug":"red-soxs-roki-sasaki-chase-may-prevent-them-from-aggression-in-free-agent-market","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=12195","title":{"rendered":"Red Sox’s Roki Sasaki chase may prevent them from aggression in free agent market"},"content":{"rendered":"
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World Baseball Classic Semifinals: Mexico v Japan | Eric Espada\/GettyImages<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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The Boston Red Sox have been linked to plenty of major free agents on the pitching market but have yet to close a deal.<\/p>\n

As Corbin Burnes, Jack Flaherty, Walker Buehler and plenty of others negotiate with potential suitors, with the Sox occasionally in the mix, Boston may have something else planned. Japanese pitching phenom Roki Sasaki was\u00a0posted as an amateur international free agent during the Winter Meetings,\u00a0and even the lowest-budget teams are expected to contend for his services.<\/p>\n

According to Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com,\u00a0“the Red Sox are very serious about making a pitch to the Sasaki team.” Mayo believes Boston will zero in on the team’s newly revamped pitcher development program and past successes with Japanese pitchers like Daisuke Matsuzaka and Koji Uehara as part of its pitch to the righty.<\/p>\n

The 23-year-old flamethrower would be a great fit for the Sox\u00a0given the current state of the team \u2014 he’s young, inexpensive (for now) and controllable. Sasaki is only eligible to sign a minor league deal given his young age, which means his salary can be no larger than seven figures and limited to international bonus pool money.<\/p>\n

Red Sox are ‘very serious’ about their pursuit of Roki Sasaki<\/h2>\n
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