Mariners Rumors: Seattle faces newly crowded Roki Sasaki field after posting

Now that the race for Juan Soto has come to an end, much of the focus at the MLB Winter Meetings will shift toward Roki Sasaki.

The Japanese pitching phenom is expected to begin meeting with and possibly negotiating with teams as soon as Dec. 15; this is a dramatic acceleration of his anticipated free agency timeline, given that he can't sign with a team until the international signing period begins on Jan. 15. Interested teams will need to have their offers ready for the potential ace, and soon.

The Seattle Mariners weren't expected to be making any major plays for free agent pitchers this offseason, as they already have one of the best starting rotations in baseball and some glaring needs elsewhere on the roster (namely, corner infielders and bats). But for an arm of Sasaki's caliber, they will almost certainly make an exception.

The Mariners have the maximum amount of international signing money for 2025 to give Sasaki as a bonus ($7.6 million), and they can add 60% of that on top of the money they already have for a potential bonus pool of $12.16 million. But will that be enough to lure the World Baseball Classic gold medalist to the Pacific Northwest?

Mariners Rumors: Roki Sasaki posting begins and Seattle remains in mix

The San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers have long been considered the frontrunners to land Sasaki, so the Mariners were already expected to have competition as they look to secure the coveted right-hander's services. But ever since the news broke that he would be posted during Winter Meetings, some other teams have thrown their hats in the ring.

Per a report from ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan, the San Francisco Giants are expected to be "significant players" for Sasaki, hoping to beat out their NL West rivals in Los Angeles and San Diego. Former MLB GM Jim Bowden also reported that several additional teams were "in the mix," including the New York Mets, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Rays, Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies. Additionally, Bowden noted that potential income from endorsements, chances to win, and pitching development would be the key factors in Sasaki's decision.

The Mariners have the money. They have the pitching development. They have the history of Japanese-born players. Still, nothing is guaranteed, and their field of potential competitors for Sasaki's services just got exponentially larger.

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