The Braves need to bolster the rotation, with Max Fried and Charlie Morton potentially parting ways with the club and Spencer Strider expected to miss a portion of the 2025 season. What better acquisition than the next great Japanese superstar, Roki Sasaki?
This is an arm that has been compared to the best names in the game, with Jim Bowden describing him as a combination of Justin Verlander, Zack Wheeler, and Jacob deGrom with a high 90s fastball, wipeout split-finger, and dominating slider.
Despite this incredibly high praise and obvious need in Atlanta, Braves fans don’t seem to be concerning themselves too much with his free agency. I think that’s because it’s just assumed he’ll join a West Coast club, namely the Dodgers. Well, perhaps that isn’t the case, Braves Country.
The latest developments from Bowden suggest Atlanta has as good of a chance as any to land the talented young Japanese star. In fact, Bowden went as far as to say the Braves have a better chance than the Dodgers.
“Based on what I’m hearing, I think the Padres, Rays, Mets and Braves are all more likely to sign Sasaki than the Dodgers — and several other teams will be in the mix,” Bowden writes.
While Yoshinobu Yamamoto entered free agency with the highest bidder winning out, Sasaki won’t be arbitration-eligible until the winter of 2028 and won’t be eligible for MLB free agency until the 2030-31 offseason, so having deep pockets won’t help clubs, which favors the Braves.
“So how will he and his agency, Wasserman, maximize his income between now and then?
It’s simple: endorsements.”
Atlanta is a melting pot, and the Braves roster is dominated by Hispanics and white Americans, leaving a potential niche to be filled. However, more than anything, the Braves will be desirable for their development track record.
“Sasaki needs pitching development, which does make the Dodgers a fit, but it also gives advantages to teams such as the San Diego Padres, Tampa Bay Rays, Mets and Atlanta Braves, who all have strong pitching development programs,” Bowden adds.
The Braves have a better chance to land Roki Sasaki than they did with Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Kodai Senga, according to what Jim Bowden has to say.
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Photographer: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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