Roki Sasaki bidding among MLB teams will start Tuesday and run until Jan. 23
FILE - Roki Sasaki, of Japan pitches, during their Pool B game against the Czech Republic at the World Baseball Classic at the Tokyo Dome, Japan, Saturday, March 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, File)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Eugene Hoshiko]
DALLAS (AP) — Hard-throwing Japanese right-hander Roki Sasaki was posted to Major League Baseball teams and will be available to sign as a free agent from Tuesday through 5 p.m. Eastern on Jan. 23. The Chiba Lotte Marines said Nov. 9 that they planned to make Sasaki available. Because he is 23, Sasaki is considered an international amateur by MLB and is limited to a minor league contract subject to the international signing bonus pools usually allocated for 16-year-old Latin American prospects. The 2025 international signing period opens on Jan. 15 and team pools range from $7,555,500 to $5,146,200.
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FILE- Japan's Roki Sasaki delivers a pitch during the first inning of a World Baseball Classic game against Mexico, Monday, March 20, 2023, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Wilfredo Lee