Orioles Surprisingly Seen As Top Landing Spot For Highly Coveted International Star

The Baltimore Orioles have a vast selection of starting pitchers, but they could look to add another arm from this winter’s free-agent market. The Orioles are expected to compete for the re-signing of ace Corbin Burnes this offseason, leaving Baltimore with little room to boost the rotation.

Fortunately for them, there’s a highly coveted international pitcher who could be acquired for an economical price tag, and the Orioles are seen as potential suitors.

“Once (Roki) Sasaki is posted, it stands to reason that every team will touch base with his camp,” CBS Sports’ R.J. Anderson wrote Monday. “His earning potential will be greatly suppressed by his classification as an amateur free agent (due to his age and lack of service time).”

Sasaki has logged a 64-29 record with a 2.10 ERA, 505-to-88 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a 0.89 WHIP throughout his four-year career with the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan’s most prestigious league, Nippon Professional Baseball.

“MLB teams will be able to offer him only as much as they have left in their international amateur signing bonus pools,” Anderson continued. “Only two teams, the Dodgers and the Orioles, have more than $2 million in their 2024 coffers, according to the Associated Press.”

Considering the Orioles have enough capital to compete with the Dodgers over Sasaki, perhaps they can find a way to convince him to join Baltimore instead of Los Angeles.

Baltimore has one of the most elite player development systems, which could greatly benefit Sasaki as he adjusts to Major League Baseball.

It seems doubtful Sasaki would give up the opportunity to join Japanese-born sensations Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto with the Dodgers. Still, the Orioles have the funds to land him, so Baltimore can’t yet be ruled out.

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