There's a lot still to learn about Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki. One of those things is how much he may be worth as a free-agent someday, according to ESPN Major League Baseball insider Jeff Passan.
The MLB writer wrote a piece for ESPN naming several pro players and which one of them might be able to sign the next big baseball contract. Passan is essentially trying to figure out who could be the next Juan Soto. Soto signed a $765 million deal with the New York Mets as a free agent during the offseason.
Sasaki is believed to be able to garner as much as $200 million on a free-agent deal, Passan said. The insider believes though that Sasaki is a wild card.
“Between now and November 2030, when the rookie is set to hit free agency, he could very easily blossom into the best pitcher in the world,” Passan wrote. “He also could never find the 100 mph fastball he regularly threw in Japan and wind up a giant case of what could have been. This placement is simply a bet on his splitter, a true unicorn pitch.”
Sasaki is playing as a rookie this season for the Dodgers. Los Angeles has a 24-11 record on the campaign.
Roki Sasaki has had some struggles with the Dodgers
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Sasaki left Japan this past offseason as the most talked about international player in baseball. There were several teams that wanted to sign him, but in the end he chose the Dodgers.
This season, Sasaki holds a 1-1 record through seven appearances. He has a 3.86 ERA, while allowing 13 runs.
The hurler earned his first win in his MLB career against the Atlanta Braves on May 3. Sasaki allowed three runs while having to wait through a lengthy rain delay to return to the mound.
“I decided to eat a little bit and relax a little bit [during the rain delay],” Sasaki said through an interpreter, per MLB.com. “Most importantly, I got a lot of the routine that I wanted to finish out of the way, because I’ve heard that when the game will start it’s [going to] happen suddenly. I was ready for that.”
While Passan is clearly just speculating about what Sasaki might earn, it is likely true that the pitcher is a wild card. He has barely logged any games in MLB. Sasaki also won't become a free agent until 2030, per ESPN.
The Dodgers play the Marlins on Tuesday. Los Angeles has won eight of their last 10 contests.
