The Chicago Cubs will meet with Roki Sasaki on Friday
Reports confirm that the Chicago Cubs will meet with the Japanese phenom on Friday right before the holiday. the right-hander has become one of the highly sought-after arms on the current free agent market, along with the likes of Corbin Burnes and Walker Buehler.
Sasaki was posted officially on Dec. 9, and many teams have already been lobbying to meet with his team in hopes to reach an agreement for his services.
The 23-year-old is coming off a 2024 campaign in the JPPL that turned heads of the scouts that were already impressed by his 2023 World Baseball Classic showing. Sasaki finished with a 10-5 record with the Chiba Lotte Marines in 111.0 innings pitched. He possessed a 2.35 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP in the large sample size.
The youngster’s arsenal is absolutely filthy and there is a reason why he made so many big league hitters look silly last spring. His fastball consistently sits in the upper-90s and more often than not reaches triple digits. Sasaki combats that heater with a splitter that sits in the upper-80s and a devastating slider that is around the same velocity range.
Sasaki has a place waiting for him in the Chicago Cubs rotation
Sasaki would not be the first addition to the Chicago Cubs rotation this offseason. The organization inked Matthew Boyd to a two-year deal earlier in December, making him the third lefty in the rotation. While Boyd is a solid veteran arm to have around, he doesn’t bring the fire power to the table that Sasaki does.
Jameson Taillon is currently the only right-handed option the Chicago Cubs have in their starting rotation entering 2025. Sasaki would certainly change that, along with bringing the ability to throw in big-time games to the franchise.
Sasaki would likely slot right in between Justin Steele and fellow countryman Shota Imanaga as the Chicago Cubs’ number two starter. He would without a doubt be apart of the playoff rotation (if the team can find their way in this season) and be an instant fan favorite in Wrigleyville.
There are going to be plenty of suitors and meetings had with Sasaki in the coming weeks, so the front office will have to make their pitch to him extra special if they want to score a contract with one of the most coveted Japanese free agent since Shohei Ohtani.
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