Rocky Sasaki (Chiba Lotte Marines) said he was “satisfied” while signing the 80 million yen annual salary freeze.
There is also an interpretation that the reason they are satisfied with the freeze is because they were allowed to post in order to advance to the major leagues. However, Sasaki is a young pitcher who is about to turn 23 years old. As it is, even if he enters the major leagues, it will be difficult for him to sign a large contract until he becomes a free agent. Chiba Lotte first resolved its major dissatisfaction by saying, “We will discuss this every year.”
Sasaki agreed to renew his annual salary contract with Chiba Lotte on the evening of the 26th. Until this day, he was the only player among the 12 clubs who had not completed his annual salary contract, causing a lot of backlash. He suffered from measles because of his insistence on advancing to the major leagues. The decision to withdraw from the players' association last year was already met with criticism in connection with this. Sasaki attended a press conference regarding the contract on the 27th and emphasized that there were no problems in the relationship with the club. He admitted that the club also had its share of faults.
At the press conference, Sasaki expressed his apologies to those around him, saying, "I haven't had a chance to talk about it in public so far, so I've caused misunderstandings and concerns among fans."
The conflict may have been resolved, but everyone's questions remain. When does Sasaki plan to advance to the major leagues? At the press conference, a question was first asked about the posting request. Sasaki explained, “I spoke with the club from the beginning of my joining,” and “I shared my opinions through my agent, a lawyer. I spent time talking with the club.”
Regarding the timing of entering the major leagues, he responded, "I have a desire to play in the major leagues in the future, but it is more important to finish the 2024 season properly first." He did not give a definitive answer to the additional question, ‘To what extent was the agreement reached?’ He only emphasized that the upcoming season is more important.
Although the timing was unclear, it was clear that he wanted to play in the major leagues. And this news reached the major leagues across the ocean. MLB.com covered Sashiki's press conference remarks on the 28th (Korean time) with an article titled "Sasaki has again shown his desire to play in the major leagues. If so, how soon can he come?" Reporter Thomas Harrigan, who wrote the article, also predicted, “Sasaki will not reveal the timing.”
MLB.com said, "American baseball fans evaluated Sasaki positively along with Ohtani and Yamamoto when Japan defeated the United States and won the gold medal at the 2023 WBC (World Baseball Classic). Although he pitched only 91 innings in the 2023 season due to injury, He left an amazing record of 135 strikeouts, 17 walks, and an ERA of 1.78. During the three years he played for Chiba Lotte, he recorded an ERA of 2.00 and a strikeouts/walks ratio of 6.71. In 2022, he pitched a perfect game with 19 strikeouts against the Orix Buffaloes. “Achieved. This is the youngest perfect game record from Japan.”
Now, even in the United States, people are wondering when Sasaki will challenge the major leagues. The Chiba Lotte team first left room, saying, “We will discuss this every off-season.”
However, it is difficult to be sure that that time will be after this season ends. If the timing is delayed, it is likely due to major league regulations. This is because it is difficult to get a justification due to the current regulations that require players under the age of 25 who have not completed six seasons of service time to enter the major leagues by signing a contract with an international prospect rather than a free agent.
In contracts for international prospects, there is a limit on the deposit amount for each club. Although it is possible to secure surplus through trade, there are still clear limitations. Since the posting amount is linked to the contract size, the more money Sasaki receives, the more compensation Chiba Lotte receives.
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