The Chicago Cubs were not listed as one of the teams named in the running for their key free agent target who they could lose out on after having their sights on him all offseason long.
The Chicago Cubs have been in the running for Japanese superstar Roki Sasaki all offseason long, but in a new report by Senior Writer at The Athletic Ken Rosenthal the Chicago Cubs may not be one of those teams anymore.
Are the Chicago Cubs out of the running?
In a recent appearance on the Youtube Channel “Foul Territory” Senior Writer at The Athletic Ken Rosenthal said about the update in the bidding for Japanese superstar Roki Sasaki:
“As far as where we are now, yes there are teams that have been identified as the leaders, the ones that have met with Sasaki,” Rosenthal said. “I don’t know where this is going, I don’t know where he is going to end up. Anyone who tells you otherwise is kidding themselves. But it certainly seems like the teams that we’ve heard mentioned — the Dodgers, the Mets, the Yankees, the Padres, the Rangers, and some others — those are the obvious front-runners based on simply the fact that they have met with Sasaki and other teams have not,” he added.
Rosenthal did add in at the end of his comments having a smirk on his face while he said it added:
“some others,”
Meaning that there still could be other teams in play to land Roki Sasaki.
The Chicago Cubs need to be in play for Roki Sasaki
In four seasons with the Chiba Lotte Marines Roki Sasaki was electric amassing a record for his career of 30-15 with an astounding low 2.02 ERA, while having a 11.4 career strikeout per nine rate, which allowed him to strikeout 524 batters in 414.2 innings pitched. For the 2024 NPB season, Sasaki was great as usual which is why he has a desire to come over to the Major Leagues and see if he can make here as his compatriots before him also did. Going 10-5 with a 2.35 ERA and 129 strikeouts, in 111 innings pitched is the reason why Sasaki is being so sought after.
The Marines posted Sasaki back on December 9th and have forty-five days to sign with a team which ends on January 23rd. The international posting period for Roki Sasaki to officially sign with a team opens on January 15th. Being able to land Roki Suzuki is a must for the Chicago Cubs given their need of adding a high-end starting pitcher who has Ace like upside. The 23-year-old Japanese phenom would figure to be just that and pair great lefties Shota Imanaga and Justin Steele and give the Cubs one of the best top three starters in all of Major League baseball if paired together.
Already having a leg up on most teams with having two Japanese players on the roster in the aforementioned Shota Imanaga and outfielder Seiya Suzuki on their roster. Roki at the request of his agent Joel Wolfe asked when he had his meetings with teams for there to be no players present. So, you figure with that being his request both Shota Imanaga and Seiya Suzuki were not in the room when the Cubs met with Sasaki and Wolfe.
Having fellow compatriots on the roster would give Sasaki a certain level of comfort being there will be a language barrier with some of his teammates. So having Seiya and Imanaga be mentors to Saskai to help bring him into the fold of the team is a benefit the Cubs have going for them too. We shall see soon who Roki Saski choses to end up signing with when he is able to put pen to paper, but hopefully at the end of it all the Chicago Cubs are the winners of the Roki Sasaki sweepstakes.
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