The New York Mets are actively seeking starting pitching this offseason and have a strong chance of securing one of the top international free agents available.
According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the Mets are expected to be key contenders for Japanese right-hander Roki Sasaki, who is set to be posted during the Winter Meetings starting Monday.
Although the Los Angeles Dodgers have long been linked to Sasaki, especially with his Samurai Japan teammates Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto playing pivotal roles in their 2024 World Series-winning team, other teams are also in the running. Along with the Mets, the San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, and San Francisco Giants are all expected to pursue Sasaki.
At 23, Sasaki will be one of the most sought-after pitchers on the market due to MLB rules, which classify international players under 25 with fewer than six years of professional experience as amateur free agents. This makes Sasaki a potential bargain compared to other top pitchers like Corbin Burnes and Max Fried.
Sasaki boasts a powerful pitching arsenal, including a blazing fastball, and posted a 2.35 ERA with 129 strikeouts for the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball League.
The Mets, who already have Japanese starter Kodai Senga in their rotation, are in need of additional starting pitching. While Senga showed promise, injuries limited him to just one regular season start and three postseason appearances last year. Adding Sasaki to their rotation could greatly strengthen their pitching staff.
In addition to Sasaki, the Mets are involved in several high-profile pursuits this offseason, including the race for Juan Soto. However, securing Sasaki would give them a talented and high-upside arm to compete with in 2025.
