The New York Mets almost reached the World Series in 2024. After falling just short they could be aggressive this winter as they try to improve their rotation.
While listing top landing spots for Rōki Sasaki, FanSided’s Christopher Kline named the Mets as potential suitors for the Chiba Lotte Marines star.
“Senga has cemented his status as an ace, but Jose Quintana, Luis Severino, and Sean Manaea are all free agents this winter. The Mets need to restock in the rotation and Sasaki is imminently appealing,” wrote Kline. “Even with potential workload restrictions and a slow-burn developmental track, the 23-year-old carries immediate All-Star potential. He’s going to contribute next season and the Mets are looking to improve on an NLCS appearance. It’s an obvious match.”
Sasaki is an amateur free agent, teams will not be able to hand him a massive contract like Yoshinobu Yamamoto received last winter. They will only be able to use funds allotted to them from the international signing bonus pool. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said he expects Sasaki to sign in the 2025 signing period, according to ESPN’s Jorge Castillo.
When the 2025 period opens on January 15, the Mets will have $6.2 million at their disposal. Although Steve Cohen’s affinity for spending won’t help right away, it could be attractive to Sasaki down the road.
“It also helps that Steve Cohen is the richest owner in baseball,” wrote Kline. “That won’t do much for Sasaki’s wallet in the immediate future, but it increases the odds that New York will pay up when the time for an extension arrives.”
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