Various teams around the MLB are attempting to sign Japanese superstar pitcher Rōki Sasaki, with the Texas Rangers currently expected to be one of the favorites to sign him to a long-term contract.
Sasaki is expected to meet with several MLB teams before making his decision, including the Rangers earlier this week to discuss a potential contract.
Rangers General Manager Chris Young kept his remarks short when asked about the meeting, confirming that the two sides met but providing very little context on what was discussed.
“We really enjoyed our time, but that’s about the extent of anything I will say on that today,” said Young, per Kennedi Landry of MLB.com.
These comments came slightly before Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic stated that the Rangers are among the “obvious front-runners” to sign Sasaki alongside the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, New York Mets, and San Diego Padres.
Sasaki’s agent, Joel Wolfe, provided further indication that the Rangers could sign the pitcher when he said in December that he may take a less traditional path than many others when considering which MLB team to sign with.
“I think there’s an argument to be made that a small- or mid-market team might be more beneficial to him as a soft landing coming from Japan, given what he’s been through and not having an enjoyable experience with the media,” said Wolfe, according to Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press.
A potential signing of Sasaki would add to the Rangers’ impressive offseason thus far. The team has already acquired multiple other pitchers to improve a bullpen that struggled at times during the 2024 season.
Texas recently traded for Milwaukee Brewers’ left-handed pitcher Mason Molina in exchange for right-hander Grant Anderson, who was not expected to play an important role on the team after the Rangers designated him for assignment just days before, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
The Rangers also opted to sign lefty reliever Hoby Milner to a one-year contract worth $2.5 million and re-sign right-hander Nathan Eovaldi to a three-year contract worth $75 million.
Although the regular season will not begin until a matchup with the Boston Red Sox on March 27, the team will begin spring training in Arizona with a game against the Kansas City Royals on February 21.