International firms begin with Sasaki as a disruptive element

At 23 years old and with four years of experience in Japan, Roki Sasaki’s firm is tied to a process created for young people with no experience
This Wednesday, January 15, the period of international signing of amateur players for the baseball ecosystem of the American Major Leagues (MLB) begins, with the news that a Japanese pitcher already established in the demanding professional ball of his country, Roki Sasakiis eligible to compete with 16-year-old boys, mostly Latin Americans, the highest bonus available.
Annually, the 30 MLB clubs invest between $150 and $200 million dollars in almost a thousand new players, the vast majority coming from the Dominican Republic and Venezuela, looking for the future Pedro Martinez, Albert PujolsJuan Soto, Miguel Cabrera and Mariano Rivera of the business.
Since 2021, and as a consequence of the consequences left by the coronavirus pandemic on the industry (which also canceled the 2020 minor league seasons), the international baseball signing period begins on January 15 and concludes on December 15. Until 2019, the process started on July 2 and ended on June 30 of the following year. The rules establish that players who turned 16 before September 1 of last year and reside outside the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico are eligible to sign their first professional contract, where the boys must go through the North American collegiate draft to enter the industry.
But, in addition, those international players who have not turned 25 years of age or do not have six years of experience in a foreign league recognized by MLB (basically those of South Korea, Cuba and Japan) enter the equation. That is why the hiring of the phenomenal Sasaki is tied to a process originally created for youngsters without any experience.
WHAT MAKES SASAKI SPECIAL?
Sasaki is 23 years old and has four years of experience in the Japanese Pacific League. His entry into the Major Leagues will follow the same unusual pattern that led Shohei Ohtani to the Los Angeles Angels in 2018.
While Ohtani offered the rare ability to act as a star hitter and pitcher, Sasaki is a pitching gem for his combination of youth and high-level experience. With more than 400 innings, he has a 2.02 ERA and 11.4 strikeouts per nine innings. As if that weren’t enough, he was also a member of the Japan team that won the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
Sasaki was put up for auction by his Japanese club, the Chiba Lotte Marineson December 10, with a period of 45 days to reach an agreement with a United States organization. That window will close on Thursday the 23rd, but it is almost certain that by then he will have chosen one of the three teams that the pitcher himself selected as finalists, according to what informed sources informed AM850 on Monday: Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres.
The team that obtains Sasaki’s services will most likely have to ignore some or all of its preliminary agreements with other international prospects in order to be able to offer an attractive bonus, as consistent as possible with the high level at which the Japanese player finds himself.
Although it seems a little unfair, it is understandable that a team would go all out for Sasaki, who is ready to integrate a Major League roster immediately, over a 16-year-old kid who, no matter how talented he is, is is years away from breaking into the ‘Big Show’.
Clubs’ budgets for recruiting international prospects vary depending on different factors. This year, eight teams (Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers, Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners and Tampa Bay Rays) have the maximum of $7 million, 555 thousand, 500 dollars.
The Arizona Diamondbacks, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Guardians, Colorado Rockies, Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates can spend up to $6 million, 908 thousand, 600 dollars, while the Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Angels, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego, Texas Rangers, Toronto and Washington Nationals have $6 million, 261 thousand, 600 dollars.
The Houston Astros and St. Louis Cardinals have a cap hit of $5 million, 646 thousand, 200 dollars and the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers the least, at $5 million, 146 thousand, 200 dollars. In total, there are more than $198 million dollars available.
But that doesn’t mean that all clubs spend their budgets. For example: As of December 15, 2004, teams had invested just over $172 million, leaving nearly $8.5 million of last year’s overall budget unused.
It is pertinent to remember that bonds that do not exceed $10 thousand dollars do not impact the international budget. Signing for little money, obviously, places the player in a lower projection than those who receive the big money, but it does not completely eliminate the possibility of reaching the Major Leagues and becoming a star.
Two recent Dominican examples: Left-hander Framber Valdez, Astros star, signed for $10,000 at age 21 in June 2015 and three years later he was already playing in MLB, while outfielder Teoscar Hernández, one of the offensive horses of the champion Dodgers, received a $15,000 bonus in 2011 and is currently one of the best hitters in the business.
HIGHEST BONUSES IN 2025
According to industry sources, the players who will receive the largest bonuses (not including Sasaki) in 2025 are the Dominicans Elian Pena ($5 million, 3B, New York Mets), Wilber Cruz ($4.2 million, CF, Atlanta Braves), Manny Cedeno ($3.5 million, SS, New York Yankees), Cris Rodriguez ($3.2 million, OF, Detroit Tigers) and Joshua De Jesus ($3.0 million, SS, San Francisco Giants).
Venezuelan shortstop Andrew Salas agreed to a $4 million bonus with the Marlins. Andrew is the younger brother of fellow professional baseball players Ethan Salas (signed for $5.6 million with San Diego in 2023) and José Salas (signed for $2.8 million with the Marlins in 2019).
The Cuban gardener is still on the list Diego Torres ($3.0 million, Braves), the Dominican outfielder Elian Rosario ($2.7 million, Texas Rangers) and the Haitian outfielder Jean Elvin ($2.7 million, Seattle Mariners) and the Dominicans Kendry Martinez ($2.6 million, SS, Mariners), Wilfri Dela Cruz ($2.5 million, SS, Cubs), Warren Calcano ($2.5 million, SS, Royals) and Johan de Los Santos ($2.5 million, SS, Pirates).
The Venezuelan prospect projected to receive the second largest bonus is receiver Gabriel Davalillo ($2.3 million, Angels), Taiwanese left-handed pitcher Wei En Lin He has a pre-agreement for $1.4 million with the Athletics and the outfielder Johance Gomeza native of the island of St. Thomas, is scheduled to sign with Baltimore for $750,000.
In total, a little more than 40 prospects will receive more than a million dollars in signing bonuses, based on the verbal agreements they made with organizations before the start of the official signing period.