In the continuous competitors to sign generational Japanese pitching prodigy Roki Sasaki, the Boston Red Sox appeared like they were dead. Throughout his current journey to Los Angeles, the 23-year old Chiba Lotte Marines righty consulted with 7 groups, consisting of 2 from the East Coast.
The Red Sox were not welcomed.
Boston was among 20 groups to send a composed pitch to Sasaki, so when it stopped working to summon a welcome to fulfill, that might just be taken as a bad indication. On Friday, a report by previous Washington Nationals and Cincinnati Reds basic supervisor Jim Bowden, who now composes for The Athletic, mentioned that Sasaki had actually narrowed down his field of possible groups to 6.
Not remarkably, those 6 groups were the exact same ones who met Sasaki in Los Angeles– minus one. Both New York groups, the Yankees and Mets, were on Sasaki's list according to Bowden, in addition to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres. Of the groups that consulted with Sasaki face to face, just the San Francisco Giants have actually been suspended, according to the previous GM.
TOKYO, JAPAN – MARCH 14: Roki Sasaki # 14 of Team Japan practices throughout a training session at Tokyo Dome on March 14, 2023 in Tokyo, Japan. Gene Wang/Getty Images
Is Bowden's report fix? According to Rob Bradford, an author for Boston's WEEI.com and host of the popular Audacity Sports podcast “Baseball Isn't Boring,” the Red Sox might not be out of the Sasaki sweepstakes simply.
“Per source, Red Sox have not been informed they run out Roki Sasaki mix,” Bradford reported on his X (previously Twitter) account.
If they are not “out,” does that indicate the Red Sox are “in”? Bradford, or his source, did not state. Sasaki's representative Joel Wolfe has actually stated that Sasaki might yet meet “a couple of groups,” beyond those who satisfied him in Los Angeles.
Under MLB's worldwide totally free company guidelines, Sasaki needs to comprise his mind at some point in between Jan. 15-23, so the Red Sox will understand within the next 3 weeks whether they ever had an opportunity to land the young fireballer.
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