Imagine all 30 teams getting the chance to sign Paul Skenes out of LSU as a free agent. That’s not too dissimilar from the expected market of international free agent pitcher Roki Sasaki, a 23-year-old potential No. 1 starter from Japan who is available to all teams for a signing bonus less than the $9.2 million the Pittsburgh Pirates gave Skenes and then can pitch at a major league minimum salary.
The Chiba Lotte Marines posted Sasaki on Monday, opening a 45-day negotiating window. No team is permitted to sign such an international free agent “amateur” between Dec. 15 and Jan. 14. The most money available in teams’ 2025 international signing bonus pools is $7.55 million.
