Sports
Roki Sasaki’s contract situation, signing process and suitors, explained
The first bombshell of Major League Baseball’s offseason landed Saturday when the Chiba Lotte Marines announced 23-year-old pitching phenom Roki Sasaki will be able to sign with an MLB club this winter.
“I will do my best to climb up from a minor-league contract and become the best player in the world,” Sasaki said in a statement translated by Yakyu Cosmopolitan, “so I have no regrets about my one and only baseball career and can live up to the expectations of everyone who has supported me so far.”
Here’s all you need to know about Sasaki, his contract situation and his electrifying stuff.
Is ‘best player in the world’ really in the range of outcomes?
So long as his countryman Shohei Ohtani is active, Sasaki will have a hard time claiming that title. But there’s no question he has one of the best right arms in baseball. Major-league evaluators have scouted Sasaki since he was a teen in Ofunato, Japan, possessing a triple-digit fastball, a vanishing splitter and an incredible nickname: the Monster of the Reiwa Era.
In 2022, Sasaki threw a 19-strikeout perfect game for Chiba Lotte in which he registered 13 consecutive strikeouts. In his next start, Sasaki tossed eight perfect innings with 14 strikeouts before being pulled.
Once Sasaki began blowing the doors off Randy Arozarena and Alex Verdugo in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, much of the wider baseball world started counting down to his eventual arrival stateside.
Sasaki, who stands a lanky 6 feet 2, is not yet a finished product. “But there’s not many people in the world who are more talented,” an MLB club official said. Sasaki had a 2.10 ERA over four seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball, the top baseball league in Japan. This year, injuries and declines in velocity, stuff and strikeout rate raised questions, but Sasaki remains immensely desirable. Not only because of his youth (only six months older than Paul Skenes) and arm talent (“He reminds me of Jacob deGrom,” an industry source said.) but also because he’s the only top-five free agent all 30 MLB teams can afford to sign.
How much will signing Sasaki cost?
Shockingly little, in modern-day baseball figures.
Most Japanese stars who jump to the majors do so after turning 25, when they still must go through a posting system — in which their NPB club receives a release fee from the signing MLB club — but can sign a big-money major-league deal. Yoshinobu Yamamoto did this last offseason, signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers for $325 million over 12 years while the Dodgers paid his former club, the Orix Buffaloes, about $50 million.
Sasaki’s situation is far more like Ohtani’s than Yamamoto’s.
A player leaving NPB before 25 is considered an international amateur free agent and permitted only to sign a minor-league deal with a bonus paid from the team’s international bonus pool. (For 2025, those pools range from $5.1 million to $7.6 million.) Ohtani was 23 when he signed with the Los Angeles Angels for $2.3 million. The Angels received six years of contractual control for Ohtani — three years of minimum salary, three years of arbitration — before he reached free agency. Had Ohtani played two more years in Japan, his initial MLB contract would have been much more like Yamamoto’s. The same is true for Sasaki.
Why wouldn’t Sasaki wait until he can sign a megadeal?
The simplest answer is he’s ready to prove himself against big leaguers.
When The Washington Post’s Chelsea Janes visited Japan earlier this year, Chiba Lotte outfielder and former Pittsburgh Pirates top prospect Gregory Polanco said of Sasaki, “He asks me about (the big leagues) every day. I go in there, and he’s joking around: ‘I’m going to this (MLB) team, I’m going to that (MLB) team!’ He’s so ready to go.”
Sasaki might also anticipate the endorsements he’ll get playing in the majors will make up for his effectively delaying his first true MLB free agency until the 2030-31 offseason, when he’ll be newly 29.
Sasaki reportedly asked Chiba Lotte to post him last year, after he had a 1.78 ERA in 91 innings. The club chose to hold on to him for another season. Now, they are willing to make him available to MLB clubs. Chiba Lotte leaves tens of millions of dollars on the table by letting Sasaki depart now rather than in 2026. When Ohtani signed in 2017, NPB clubs could set their release fee as high as $20 million — the number the Angels paid the Nippon-Ham Fighters. But the release fee is now determined as a percentage of the guaranteed value of the contract; for minor-league contracts, the signing team will pay the NPB club just 25 percent of the signing bonus.
Why is Chiba Lotte letting Sasaki go now when the release fee is so small?
It does not make financial sense. The way Chiba Lotte officials explained it Saturday, it was a matter of respecting Sasaki’s wishes to pitch in the majors.
Club executive Naoki Matsumoto told reporters, including baseball writer Jim Allen, that the financial implications were not part of their conversations with Sasaki: “He’s a representative of Japan and Lotte, so I want him to do his best on the world stage.”
As Allen wrote Thursday in a detailed explanation of Sasaki’s unprecedented situation, some believe Sasaki, the No. 1 selection in the NPB’s 2019 draft, struck an agreement with Chiba Lotte upon signing that the club would post him at his discretion. There is no public proof of such an accord, and Matsumoto denied the existence of one Saturday.
Which teams are expected to be front-runners?
There’s already a lot of hand-wringing about the Dodgers, the reigning World Series champs, landing Sasaki a year after signing Ohtani and Yamamoto. The Dodgers have tracked Sasaki for years, and they will try to be first in line when his recruitment opens. But the truth is, because every team’s financial offer will essentially be equal, there’s no way to compile a list of favorites without first knowing Sasaki’s preferences.
Maybe he’d rather not be in Ohtani and Yamamoto’s wake.
Maybe he wants to pitch with his pal Yu Darvish in San Diego.
Maybe he wants to be an ace in a small pond. Maybe he wants to be on the East Coast or South Beach or Sacramento. Maybe he saw “Rookie of the Year” and always dreamed of pitching for the Chicago Cubs.
League sources told The Athletic’s Will Sammon that among Sasaki’s priorities are stability, lifestyle, comfort and a team’s track record with player development. (That last one should send the Tampa Bay Rays front office into a frenzy.) Sammon named several candidates for Sasaki’s services — the Dodgers, San Diego Padres, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Cubs — and more will surely surface soon. We’ll learn more once Sasaki’s camp starts meeting with some MLB teams — and not others.
Sasaki’s representation is expected to include Joel Wolfe of the Wasserman agency, which counts Yamamoto, Darvish, Kodai Senga and Seiya Suzuki among its clients. Those four signed all over the map: Darvish with the Texas Rangers, Senga with the Mets, Suzuki with the Cubs, Yamamoto with the Dodgers. In all of those free agencies, clubs could buy better odds by simply offering the biggest contract. Sasaki’s bonus is capped. (Teams are not permitted to discuss long-term extensions while negotiating with a posted player, per MLB.com.) This is the rare free agency on a level playing field, as far as resources go. It comes down to where Sasaki wants to be.
Make your best pitch.
When will Sasaki sign?
The deadline for NPB players to be posted is Dec. 15. After that, there’s a 45-day window in which the player can negotiate with all 30 MLB clubs.
MLB’s international signing period also closes Dec. 15, with a new one opening Jan. 15. MLB teams have already blown through most of their international signing pool for this year. (The Dodgers have the most international bonus pool money available, with $2.5 million, according to MLB.com, followed by the Baltimore Orioles’ $2.1 million.) If Sasaki signs after Jan. 15, though, those pools will be replenished — even if much of the money already is earmarked for specific international prospects.
Bottom line: If Sasaki is posted in December and signs after Jan. 15, he — and Chiba Lotte — will make more money and ensure all 30 teams have bonus pool capacity to offer him. But it still won’t be more than a few million dollars, well short of a top draft pick’s signing bonus.
What can we expect from Sasaki in 2025?
Though it’s perfectly plausible Sasaki will pitch like an ace from his first start in April, he’ll likely have some workload restrictions — such as lower pitch counts or extra rest — as an MLB rookie.
Chiba Lotte was careful with Sasaki’s golden right arm. He did not pitch in 2020, and over the next four seasons, he exceeded 100 innings just twice as injuries limited his availability. Sasaki topped out at 129 1/3 innings in 2022, the year his 173 strikeouts ranked second to Yamamoto’s (205 in 193 innings).
If Sasaki remains healthy, 150 innings are a reasonable estimate for 2025.
GO DEEPER
Roki Sasaki has top-shelf stuff. How would it translate to Major League Baseball?
(Photo: Eric Espada / Getty Images)
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The Michigan Wolverines men’s basketball team will return to the national championship for the first time since 2018 after a rout of the Arizona Wildcats, 91-73, in the Final Four.
Michigan jumped out to a 16-point lead midway through the first half and never had to look back from there. The high-percentage shooting from Aday Mara and Elliott Cadeau’s ability to knock down the long-range shot was more than enough for the Wolverines to get the win.
Michigan guard Nimari Burnett celebrates a basket against Arizona during the first half of an NCAA college basketball tournament semifinal game at the Final Four in Indianapolis on April 4, 2026. (Abbie Parr/AP)
Wolverines star Yaxel Lendeborg was saddled with two fouls early in the first half and then suffered a tough-looking ankle injury during the period to keep him on the bench. He started the second half and hit two 3-pointers before he called it a night.
He looked as though he was struggling with the pain. He managed to score 11 points, including three 3-pointers in 14 minutes of play. As he struggled, Trey McKenney stepped up big time.
McKenney was hot from long range. He finished with 16 points on 4-of-6 from 3-point range.
Mara led Michigan with 26 points and nine rebounds. Cadeau had 13 points and 10 assists.
UCONN’S UNDEFEATED SEASON CRUMBLES AS SOUTH CAROLINA GETS SWEET REVENGE AGAINST REIGNING CHAMPS
Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg reacts after an injury during the first half of an NCAA tournament semifinal game against Arizona at the Final Four in Indianapolis on April 4, 2026. (Abbie Parr/AP)
Arizona was unable to find its rhythm throughout the night, and the continued missed shots sucked the air out of the building. The Wildcats only shot 37% from the floor.
Wildcats freshman Koa Peat scored 16 points to lead the team. He also had six rebounds.
Brayden Burries and Jaden Bradley each had 13 points. Motiejus Krivas had 11 points.
Michigan lost in the 2018 national championship to Jay Wright’s Villanova squad. Their appearance in the Final Four on Saturday night was their third since 1993. The team last won a national championship in 1989 when Glen Rice and the Wolverines knocked off Seton Hall in overtime.
The Wolverines will take on the UConn Huskies in the national championship game on Monday night. The Huskies defeated the Illinois Fighting Illini to receive the opportunity at the title.
Arizona’s Jaden Bradley reacts during the first half of an NCAA college basketball tournament semifinal game against Michigan at the Final Four in Indianapolis on April 4, 2026. (Michael Conroy/AP)
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If UConn wins, it will be the Huskies’ third title in four years.
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Satisfied is perhaps the best word to describe how Norco High pitcher Coral Williams felt after tossing a three-hit shutout in the Gold Bracket championship game of the Michelle Carew Softball Classic.
Williams recorded five strikeouts, Angelina Gonzales hit a pair of home runs and the Cougars blanked Fullerton 7-0 to capture their sixth tournament title Saturday night at Peralta Park in Anaheim.
The finals showdown between teams ranked second and third in CalHiSports.com’s top 20 rankings was decided early. Kendra Nelson walked to begin the game, then Gonzales lined an inside pitch deep over the fence in left field to make it 2-0. Isabella Ray hit a solo shot to left in the fourth and in the fifth Gonzales unloaded on another homer to left to give Williams a four-run cushion that was more than she needed.
“It was the same pitch both times — I think they were trying to surprise me on the second one,” said Gonzales, who had three homers in five games. “If I didn’t get it done I knew the next player would do the job. We have each other’s backs.”
Williams, the CIF Southern Section Division 1 Player of the Year last spring, was named the most valuable pitcher of the tournament after giving up only one unearned run in 24 innings. She threw a four-hitter with nine strikeouts in Wednesday’s victory over Millikan and tossed a six-hitter with 10 strikeouts in a 2-1, 10-inning triumph over Anaheim Canyon on Friday.
“I felt confident in my preparation for this game and told myself to stay loose and don’t overthink,” Williams said. “I pitched around the zone a lot so they couldn’t do damage.”
The No. 3 Cougars (14-2) have allowed only two earned runs, and six total, while shutting out 13 opponents this season.
“I love playing behind Coral,” said Gonzales, the Cougars’ left fielder. “She makes my job easier.”
Utah Valley-bound Hayley Brock was a force at the plate for Fullerton (16-2) and singled her first time up against Williams. She was chosen most valuable player of the tournament after going 11 for 18 with four home runs, two doubles and 14 RBIs.
“It’s a great feeling to be named MVP, it just sucks coming up one win short,” said Brock, who was robbed of a second hit on a diving play at second base in the fourth inning. “That pitcher is so good. You want to attack her earlier in the count. You don’t want to get to two strikes with her.”
Norco’s Angelina Gonzales celebrates after hitting the first of two home runs against Fullerton in the Michelle Carew Softball Classic Gold Bracket championship at Peralta Park in Anaheim on April 4, 2026.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
Williams admitted she was wary of Brock’s prowess at the plate.
“I just had to be smart with my pitches and trust my defense,” she said. “We all need to be loose tonight and not be as tense and uptight.”
Norco advanced to the finals by blanking Orange Lutheran 2-0. Peyton May scattered five hits over six innings, striking out eight batters. Sadie Burroughs belted a solo homer in the second and Savannah Gonzalez added an RBI double to center in the fifth as the Cougars prevailed in a rematch of their 2-1 victory in the Norco Showcase finale in Chino Hills in February.
Orange Lutheran’s Rylee Silva, who had 135 strikeouts as a freshman last spring, struck out five Cougars. She and the No. 7 Lancers (10-5), who edged Norco 1-0 in the semifinals last year before falling to Rosary Academy in the final, then lost to Ganesha 10-2 in Saturday’s third-place game.
Fullerton blasted five homers off of Ganesha ace Ava Phillips in its 9-4 semifinal triumph. Brock had a pair of two-run shots, Malaya Majam-Finch had a three-run home run and a solo and Andrea Montes added a solo homer as Fullerton won its ninth straight, a streak that began March 7 with a 3-2 upset over Norco at the Dave Kops Tournament of Champions in Arizona. Katelynn Mathews threw a seven-hitter with a strikeout and improved to 11-0.
Phillips allowed only four hits and struck out seven in Ganesha’s 3-2 upset of Loomis Del Oro in the first round Wednesday, then the junior transfer from Rosary outdueled Marina ace Mia Valbuena in a 4-1 win for the Giants (10-3) on Friday.
Los Alamitos (12-8) shared fifth place in the Gold Bracket with Chula Vista Mater Dei, the 2025 SoCal Division I regional champion. After throwing back-to-back no-hitters versus Rio Mesa and Los Altos on Wednesday to lift the Vikings into the top bracket, Valbuena was not in the circle in the seventh-place game against Anaheim Canyon, but her twin sister Avi hit an RBI double to tie it 2-2 in the top of the seventh.
The Comanches (12-8) prevailed 4-3 on a single by Emma Lindauer that scored Bella Alcala for the winning run in the bottom of the eighth.
Santa Maria St. Joseph took an early 3-0 lead and hung on to defeat Los Altos 4-2 for the Silver Bracket title. Jasmine Campos and Aaliyah Zamano had RBI hits for the Conquerors, who fell to 14-8.
Brooke Lebsock had a grand slam and Janai Stover added a two-run homer as Riverside King (14-4) won the Bronze Bracket with an 11-0 victory over Modesto Central Catholic.
Lauryn Kim homered and Kayla Cisneros, Addy Everett and Lizzie Hobbs each had two hits in Millikan’s 7-6 triumph over San Diego Cathedral in the consolation final.
The tournament debuted as the Canyon Tournament of Champions in the mid-1980s. Following the passing of Michelle Carew, who died from a rare form of leukemia in 1996 at the age of 18, it was renamed in her memory. She was the daughter of Angels Hall of Famer Rod Carew.
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The UConn Huskies men’s basketball team is one win away from reaching their third national championship in the last four years.
The Huskies got to the Final Four after a stunning Elite Eight win over the Duke Blue Devils when Braylon Mullins nailed a long 3-pointer to give them the lead right before the final buzzer. Duke reached the game with a victory over the St. John’s Red Storm.
Andrea Hurley, wife of UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley, watches the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame exhibition game between the UConn Huskies and Boston College Eagles at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., on Oct. 13, 2025. (Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire)
Dan Hurley’s wife, Andrea, weighed in on St. John’s fans seemingly rooting against the Huskies as they took on the Michigan State Spartans in the other Sweet 16 matchup on that side of the bracket. It appeared the rivalry between the two schools is alive and well.
“OK, I’m gonna say it. St. John’s fans … When we went to the game, all those St. John’s fans were rooting against us,” Andrea Hurley said on “The Field of 68: After Dark.” “And that just broke my heart. … It’s really sad. … That’s crappy … That was crappy.”
2026 NCAA MEN’S TOURNAMENT: LAST TIME FINAL FOUR TEAMS MADE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
UConn head coach Dan Hurley talks with a referee during the first half of the Elite Eight NCAA tournament game against Duke in Washington on March 29, 2026. (Stephanie Scarbrough/AP)
Hurley said she was talking to Rick Pitino’s wife during the Big East Championship and asked her how she did it, seemingly forming a bond with the family over the rival school.She added that she may not have wanted to see the Red Storm in the tournament, but didn’t necessarily want to face the Blue Devils either.
Dan Hurley had praise for his wife earlier in the week after he said she was able to keep players from storming the court after Mullins’ shot went in against Duke. UConn may have received a technical foul for going on the court too early, which may have presented a different conversation from the media going into Final Four.
UConn head coach Dan Hurley speaks during a news conference ahead of the national semifinal NCAA college basketball tournament game against Illinois at the Final Four in Indianapolis on April 2, 2026. (Abbie Parr/AP)
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UConn will take on Illinois in their Final Four matchup. The winner will either play Arizona or Michigan.
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