SportsBaseballBlue Jays

Toronto Blue Jays one of two finalists to sign star Japanese free agent pitcher

Colton Pankiw
Colton Pankiw
|
Jan 17 2025, 5:14 pm
Toronto Blue Jays one of two finalists to sign star Japanese free agent pitcher
Sam Navarro/Imagn Images

This offseason has been a disaster for the Toronto Blue Jays, but that could soon change.

It was reported earlier in the week that the Blue Jays were interested in starting pitcher Roki Sasaki. They even hosted an in-person meeting with him in Toronto, similar to what they had done with other free agents this offseason, such as Juan Soto and Corbin Burnes.

The 23-year-old has yet to pitch in the MLB but has dominated in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) league, putting up a career 2.10 ERA through four seasons.

Given his elite numbers, there were many teams interested in signing Sasaki. It seems as though many teams are out of the running, however, with the latest being the San Diego Padres. According to MLB insider Francys Romero, the two finalists to land the Japanese phenom are the Blue Jays and LA Dodgers.

Blue Jays fans need no reminder of how close they’ve been to signing many big-name free agents this offseason. They have been a runner-up among plenty of top players who would have had a big impact in changing the direction of this franchise, much like Sasaki can.

While it’s hard to be optimistic based on how everything else has played out lately, Blue Jays fans should be very excited to hear that their team is strongly considering landing Sasaki. The two-time NPB All Star is as legitimate as they come and has a real chance of developing into a perennial star in the MLB.

Should the Blue Jays land him, they would have him under club control for six years. Landing a player of his calibre could go a long way in helping in their efforts of re-signing Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and may even cause Bo Bichette to reconsider his future with the organization.

ADVERTISEMENT