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It Sounds Like Top International Pitcher Roki Sasaki Is Open To Playing For A Small-Market Team With A Good Developmental System And Future Plan...Hmmm

Kenta Harada. Getty Images.

A few days back Hubbs talked about the 23 year old pitching sensaton from Japan named Roki Sasaki. He'll be a name you will hear come up A LOT in the next few now that he's been posted, we'll see him in a big league stadium in 2025. Obviously it is a bidding war for Sasaki and the usual suspects are being talked about, Dodgers are assumed to be the heavy favorite due to his relationship with Shohei Ohtani, Yankees, Mets, Padres and Mariners have all been paired alongside his name as a potential match. But Jim Allen, a baseball writer in Tokyo says that there could be some smaller market teams interested in Sasaki's services. That is music to my ears. 

Now since he's under the age of 25 he will technically have to be classified as an international amateur free agent which subjects him to bonus pool limits, which means that the first deal he signs can't be higher than seven figures. Why does that matter? Because teams all have different amounts, you can trade amounts and such and that lets other teams have an advantage as to what they could offer a top prospect like Sasaki. There are 2 teams that have over $2 Million in their bonus pool the Dodgers and the Orioles. Dodgers are sitting there with $2,502,500 and the Orioles have $2,147,300 to offer, both teams have way more to offer than anyone else. There is a fun note where if he signed during the 2025 period than the bonus pool resets and the O's will still have $6.9 million, after that new 2025 period the Yankees will have $6.2 Million and the Dodgers will have $5.1 Million.

So when Allen tweeted that a source close with Sasaki said that a small market team that has a solid development setup and a future plan could be a destination that got peoples attention. So if he wants to go to a "small-market" who can also offer him the 2nd most money, why not Baltimore? Oh, you want a team with a solid development plan? CHECK. Small-market? Sure! It's not New York or LA so small market it is! Come on over my guy! The O's have a shot to convince a top arm to come to Baltimore and it doesn't seem THAT crazy. I'm sure LA will land him, or Padres and he'll stay out west….but the Orioles have a legit shot at him it sounds like IF they really want to make a run at him. Mike Elias LOVES himself some international bonus pool money, he's a stickler for going out and getting some of that cash in a trade, here is the perfect chance to put that bonus pool money to use!

They likely won't bring back Corbin Burns and have some holes in their rotation, they've also got a fantastic pitching lab that has worked wonders with some young guys. It sounds like the perfect storm. I'm not saying Sasaki is coming to Baltimore, he may not even answer their phone call and just wait by the phone for LA or SD to call them, but if he's interested in a small market team with a recent history of developing players and are on the winning track? Well I hope you like crab cakes! The O's are right there when it comes to a young player's short-term and long-term interests as well, who wouldn't want to play here? New ownership with money coming out of their pores, a young core who is on the verge of exploding, their window to win is wide open and that should check a lot of Roki's boxes. 

He's going to go to LA, it's a perfect match for him and he'd be crazy not to. But it would be fun to think about, right? A top international arm coming to Baltimore to help push them over the top? We can dream.