The Toronto Blue Jays have been the bridesmaid in free agency again this year. Just one year after losing out on Shohei Ohtani, they were in the Juan Soto and Corbin Burnes but did not land either one. With Vladimir Guerrero Jr and Bo Bichette entering contract years, they have a lot of questions coming down the pipe. One way to stay competitive this year is to make some late-offseason splashes. The Blue Jays took a meeting with prized Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki, per The Athletic.
“Club officials last week hosted prized Japanese right-hander Roki Sasaki in Toronto, sources briefed on the meetings told The Athletic,” Ken Rosenthal and Andy McCullough reported.
“Sasaki, 23, can sign with a major-league club starting Wednesday, when the international signing period opens. He is not expected to decide immediately, but must choose by Jan. 23, the deadline for him to sign under the posting process.”
Sasaki is not eligible for the massive contract that Yoshinobu Yamamoto signed last year because of his lack of service time. The Blue Jays could bring him in without breaking the bank and bet on a highly-touted pitcher. It may not launch them into contention but would help them keep their star infielders.
Should the Blue Jays sign Roki Sasaki?
If the Blue Jays can sway Roki Sasaki north of the border, they should sign him immediately. The 23-year-old has taken meetings with at least seven other teams and will have his pick of the litter. While the Blue Jays have an opening in their rotation, Sasaki may want to be on a playoff team for 2025. That likely will not be Toronto.
What exactly Sasaki wants won’t be known until he signs somewhere. That will come between Wednesday, January 15, and Thursday, January 23. He will have plenty of offers but none of them will be that different. Even when the Blue Jays offer the most money, they cannot land the free agents. The most recent example of that is Corbin Burnes.
Reports surfaced after Burnes signed with the Diamondbacks that he had two higher offers. The Giants and Blue Jays were both willing to pay more but he still went to Arizona. He cited family ties to the area and lower taxes for his decision. It was the cherry on top for a team that has missed out on difference-making free agents multiple times now. They must sign Sasaki to satiate their fanbase.
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