Texas Rangers general manager Chris Young confirmed on Monday that his team met with free-agent pitcher Roki Sasaki, bringing the total number of teams that have met with the standout pitcher to five. Young told reporters, “We really enjoyed our time, but that’s about the extent of anything I will say on that today,” according to MLB.com’s Kennedi Landry.
In addition to the Rangers, the New York Mets, New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, and Chicago Cubs were reported to have met with Sasaki and his representatives last week in Southern California. The Philadelphia Phillies also confirmed that they contacted Sasaki’s representatives, though they did not meet with him in person, as stated by president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski.
Sasaki had an impressive season last year, posting a 10-5 record with a 2.35 ERA in 18 starts for the Chiba Lotte Marines, striking out 129 batters in 111 innings. He gained widespread attention during the 2023 World Baseball Classic, where his fastball consistently reached 100 mph and helped Japan defeat the United States to win the championship.
Leave a Reply