Please Come to Minnesota, Roki Sasaki

[Tom Froemming]

The agent for Japanese pitching phenom Roki Sasak suggested a soft landing could be beneficial and that it’s possible he might prefer a smaller market. Well, why not the Minnesota Twins?

Image courtesy of © Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Prior to the “soft landing” comment from agent Joel Wolfe, it was presumed by many that Roki Sasaki would sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers, or at least another team on the West Coast. Wolfe hinted to reporters that things are more complicated than that, referencing the challenges Sasaki has faced with the media to this point in his career.

Well, this is technically media, and I’d like to personally ensure that Sasaki knows he’ll be treated like a king here at Twins Daily if he decides to sign with Minnesota. I’ll see to it myself. 

Roki, we won’t expect perfection out of you. Unlike some other markets, years of disappointment and heartache have lowered our expectations. You can’t hurt us any worse than what we’ve already endured. If you come in and do what we know you're capable of, you’ll be a hero here in Minnesota. If you do that in New York or LA, you’re just another guy in the long line of current stars and franchise icons. What’s the fun in that? You’re still only 23; you’ll have plenty of time to make a late-career run in the limelight if you choose to do so. Minnesota is where you want to come to find comfort and grow into the next chapter of your life.

Before any of you readers reply with some variation of “yeah, but cheap Pohlads,” remember: this money is essentially already earmarked for spending. The Twins will use (basically) their entire international bonus pool whether they can land Sasaki or not. And while most teams have around the same amount, the Twins are one of eight teams to have this year’s top pool allotment of around $7.5 million.

So are the Twins actually in on Sasaki? Derek Falvey was uncharacteristically direct about this with reporters: “We have interest.”

MLB teams are going to flood Sasaki and his agent with presentations trying to woo the fireballer. They will have executives, coaches and even players make their pitch. There are already videos, PowerPoint presentations and PDFs being sent. Will that be enough?

Reading through the lines, it seems like Sasaki isn’t necessarily motivated by the same things as your average ballplayer. At least some of his friction with the media in Japan is related to his determination to pitch in the United States, at this early an age. Sasaki has also faced some extraordinary, tragic challenges in his life. He's from Rikuzentakata, a small town on the East Coast of Japan, which was hit hard by the earthquake and resulting tsunami in 2011. Sasaki lost his father and two grandparents, and was one of thousands of residents of that hamlet who never went back home.

So nobody’s really sure what’s going to motivate Sasaki. Why not us?

The below video is my presentation to Sasaki on why he should consider signing with the Minnesota Twins. I encourage you to make your own pitch. Maybe if enough of us make the case for Minnesota, we can be the difference.

Under normal circumstances, the Twins would have little chance to sign such a talent. Fortunately, these are not normal circumstances. Since he is so young, Saski is subject to international bonus pool money restrictions, much like when Shohei Ohtani came to the states. Sasaki was formally posted Monday, Dec. 10, which opened a 45-day window for him to negotiate a deal.

Feel free to make your own presentation to Roki Sasaki down in the comments.

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[Cory Engelhardt]

It’s good to be optimistic and have hope. :)

[Doctor Wu]

The idea of the Twins being able to sign a coveted pitcher like Sasaki seems like pure fantasy, but as you pointed out in the article, the Twins are one of eight teams to have this year’s top pool allotment ... so I guess it's within the realm of possibility. Hey, I'll ask Santa to add it to my list!

[theBOMisthebomb]

Why not us? 

[CRF]

They probably have a better shot at getting Nishioka back here.🤪

[Johnny Ringo]

In response to this likelihood, I have adapted the lyrics to Dave Loggins' immortal 1974 hit.

Please come to Ft Myers for the spring time
I'm stayin' here with some friends and they've got lots of room
You can pitch in the snow in April
And you’ll be payin’ Walz’s taxes soon 
Please join the chaos
He said "No, would you come home to that?"
 

[Lasorda_This_Out]

If it can't be us, then the Dodgers..

Can you imagine?

[Doctor Gast]

We should send you Tom, I like your Japanese & enthusiasm. From the beginning, I've been advocating for Roki Sasaki, I placed him right away on my TD blueprint. We are famous for our MN nice, with Sasaki we can become perennial contenders & hopefully throw in a WS. You'll be hailed as our main hero, You can have your own chef. There is no threat whatsoever of earthquakes or tsunamis. We have the highest International bonus money. Our pitching program is one of the tops. So our focus is to make you the best you can be as a pitcher & a person. Let us know if you need anything. We'll try very hard to make you feel right a home. I'd have the scenery of our beautiful nature filled with streams & lakes filled with beautiful blue eyes blonds & relaxing music. I'd show expectant enthusiasm, not meh, we won't get you anyway.

[Cory Engelhardt]

54 minutes ago, Doctor Wu said:

The idea of the Twins being able to sign a coveted pitcher like Sasaki seems like pure fantasy, but as you pointed out in the article, the Twins are one of eight teams to have this year’s top pool allotment ... so I guess it's within the realm of possibility. Hey, I'll ask Santa to add it to my list!

And with this, IF the Twins don't get him (which I think is the easy betting line right, my guess is a west coast team) then that means all the players that were going to go to the team that signs Sasaki will be set to be free agents. Hopefully they can jump in and get someone that may be available either way.

But yes, Sasaki would be fun :)

[Stew]

It's still a little bit of a money thing. So, we should , when we trade players to lower our spending, consider getting extra bonus pool money. That way we will have more than other teams. And it will signal that  we are serious.. plus it's a good year for international prospects.

[Tom Froemming]

23 minutes ago, Doctor Gast said:

We should send you Tom, I like your Japanese & enthusiasm. From the beginning, I've been advocating for Roki Sasaki, I placed him right away on my TD blueprint. We are famous for our MN nice, with Sasaki we can become perennial contenders & hopefully throw in a WS. You'll be hailed as our main hero, You can have your own chef. There is no threat whatsoever of earthquakes or tsunamis. We have the highest International bonus money. Our pitching program is one of the tops. So our focus is to make you the best you can be as a pitcher & a person. Let us know if you need anything. We'll try very hard to make you feel right a home. I'd have the scenery of our beautiful nature filled with streams & lakes filled with beautiful blue eyes blonds & relaxing music. I'd show expectant enthusiasm, not meh, we won't get you anyway.

I think instead of Falvey and Adler they need to put Froemming and Gast at the forefront of this effort. We got this!

[Elliot]

My understanding is there are two monetary concerns. The first, international bonus pool restricting what we can pay the player, helps us. We can offer as much as anyone.

I think there is a second part that I know nothing about. Are there restrictions on what we can offer the posting team?

[Doctor Gast]

33 minutes ago, Tom Froemming said:

I think instead of Falvey and Adler they need to put Froemming and Gast at the forefront of this effort. We got this!

Yeah, I really want him, We have to really show him that he's very much wanted & needed here. & make every legal effort to make it worth his while.

[thelanges5]

We can have Nishioka help with the presentation. 👍🏻

[Jocko87]

33 minutes ago, Elliot said:

My understanding is there are two monetary concerns. The first, international bonus pool restricting what we can pay the player, helps us. We can offer as much as anyone.

I think there is a second part that I know nothing about. Are there restrictions on what we can offer the posting team?

Yes and the difference in the pools is a couple million max which is not going to be the difference.  There is a restriction about discussing long term contracts is the posting period so the Dodgers and Yankees can't just wink wink sign first then we will pay you.

The Twins should be all over this chance and should have as good a chance as anyone with what little we know.  He would my #1 priority.

Good core, good pitching development, good vibes for a new owner, good pitchers ballpark, good division, good defense (most of the time), great summer weather. 

Get it done. Get Pable and Correa on a plane, whatever it takes.  Max effort.

[Fire Dan Gladden]

Not completely outside the realm of possibility.  Correa is here after all.

That being said, the California alure, especially the Dodgers, will probably be too much to ignore.

[LambchoP]

He would be a major get for us. Question is, why would he want to come to a team that is desperate to trade away players to lower payroll. You'd think he would be more interested in a team that looks to be a contender. Not a team looking to trade away assets and possibly get a new owners....

[Blyleven2011]

We have lots of water and lots of fishing ...

[saviking]

Maybe if you could ban the Star Tribune from reporting on him ... 

s

[tony&rodney]

The lakes are amazing and the fishing is good. The Twins should definitely pitch the club to Roki. All in.

Why did the movie Fargo pop in my head watching that fine little media pitch?

[chpettit19]

Every team should be putting together their best pitch. These are the types of signing opportunities that every team loves. Roki has his flaws (mostly injury concerns), but he's an MLB ready arm that throws filthy stuff and has pitched on the world's biggest stage and he can be had for (relatively speaking) pennies. Every team should be putting together their absolute best pitch. Including the Twins.

The signing pool is nothing. The coastal, big market teams talk him out of caring about that immediately by pointing out the endorsement opportunities (well his agent informs him of the extra financial opportunities). The difference between the Twins 7.55 mil at the top and the Dodgers 5.2 mil at the bottom is made up in 1 commercial shoot. He's ignoring the pool money because it doesn't matter to him financially. His money, like Shohei's was, will be made off the field. I don't know if he cares about the money, but it can still be a thing without him caring about the pool money. The Twins having the highest pool money doesn't matter. Because if the Dodgers, or any other team, want to match it they can trade for more and get close enough. The Twins having the most doesn't matter. It's not enough to matter. Especially when you get into Miami and Tampa (who are pretty good with arms, too, by the way) having the same amount but having no tax in their state and stuff like that. The 7.55 doesn't matter.

The Twins biggest hurdle is the instability of the organization. From the possible sale to the payroll to Falvey and Rocco's job security and all that comes with those things. Every team has some level of instability in many of those things, it's just the nature of the industry. But the Twins are at a different level right now. Every professional athlete knows they could be traded at any time (outside of no trade clause things) or their teammates could be traded at any time or their bosses could be fired at any time. It's a very volatile business. But 23-year-olds moving to another country are likely going to be a little more hesitant when it comes to an organization whose owners have publicly stated they're looking to sell the team. That means everything about the organization is up in the air. You may like how they do things right now, but if they sell the team in February it may be an entirely new group of people doing things and then you have no idea how things will be done. If you sit down with Dodger brass you know there's a certain level of stability there. You can talk to Steve Cohen and get a feel for him and feel comfortable that your expectations for your first 6 years have a certain level of certainty. You can talk to the Pohlads, or anyone they employ, until you're blue in the face, but come away from it with no idea what you may be getting into by the end of 2025. 

The Twins should be putting their best foot forward. Put together an A+ presentation. Sell him on no earthquakes if you think that's the ticket. But they still have a Mount Fuji sized peak to climb. The odds are very slim the Twins walk away from this offseason with Roki Sasaki in the fold.

[cmoss84]

I'm guessing he signs with Mariners. But an intriguing notion lessthenone.

[bean5302]

I'm waiting for the first bait-n-switch international signing to push the boundaries of collusion in regard to the broken international signing stuff with Japan.

Step 1) Sign sub-25 year old Japanese star player to MiLB contract (as required).
Step 2) Hypothetically... hahhaha, believe me, this is a "hypothetical" what.. if you, say, make the team out of of Spring Training might you be amicable to an extension to x years and y dollars?

This is absolutely happening, btw. I guarantee extensions are being hinted at during discussions. Just whether or not there's a gentleman's agreement formally being made, and how quickly the move happens, you know?

[jmlease1]

There's absolutely no reason for the Twins not to take a shot. They should swing for the fences on this one and 100% put their best foot forward. Screw the East and West Coasters who call us "flyover territory" and all the baseball bobos who presume that no one of import will want to come here. Why not us?

The team is going to compete. There's star power in players like Correa, Buxton, Lopez, and Lewis (who may not have proved it yet over a season but unquestionably has the star magnetism) and young talent. Minnesota is awesome in the spring, summer, and fall which is when he'd be actually pitching here; the team is in Ft. Myers in Feb, and I hear that's the time to be in FL. the media here doesn't have anywhere near the same crush that you do in japan or on the coasts, and while you'll have to deal with some twits some of the worst offenders won't often bestir themselves to go to the games, making them far easier to ignore.

the fans will love you. We love anyone that shows they want to be here and gives a damn. (and I'm fine with that) We won't even ask you to try lutefisk! (and you'll love the walleye)

Heck, I bet Pablo Lopez will learn Japanese just so he can be a better mentor and friend to you. (seriously, I bet Pablo could do it. Dude is crazy smart and already speaks a bunch of languages) Joe Ryan would teach you water polo. Griffin Jax would use his AF connections to get you up in a jet.

I'd love to get this dude.

Take your absolute best shot at him, Twins. Just don't presume you're gonna sign him.

[chpettit19]

55 minutes ago, bean5302 said:

I'm waiting for the first bait-n-switch international signing to push the boundaries of collusion in regard to the broken international signing stuff with Japan.

Step 1) Sign sub-25 year old Japanese star player to MiLB contract (as required).
Step 2) Hypothetically... hahhaha, believe me, this is a "hypothetical" what.. if you, say, make the team out of of Spring Training might you be amicable to an extension to x years and y dollars?

This is absolutely happening, btw. I guarantee extensions are being hinted at during discussions. Just whether or not there's a gentleman's agreement formally being made, and how quickly the move happens, you know?

This is what got the Braves in trouble a number of years ago and landed Yunior Severino with the Twins. No team would bring up his roster spot. He already knows he's making the team, not worth risking losing him and the severe penalties that'd come with it to mention what's already known. The first bait-n-switch already happened. It's why it's very unlikely to happen again. Especially with this well-known of a target. The league would come down crazy hard on a team doing this to make an example of them. The CBA has rules covering all that kind of stuff. Even hinting at extensions will get your pool money pulled and all your international signings released.

[chpettit19]

1 hour ago, Bigfork Twins Guy said:

Maybe see if Kenta could put in a good word.  I think he liked his time with us.

Also, I thought I saw on another thread that he likes to fish and that we should entice him with a new fishing boat and solicit Kent Hrbek as a fishing guide.  Are there restrictions on additional goodies over and above our financial limit?

Yes. Can't offer him anything outside your pool money. You can trade for an additional 50% of your pool allotment, but you can't offer extra things like houses, cars, etc.

[Mike Sixel]

It would be awesome, and allow them to deal a pitcher if so inclined. 

[AceWrigley]

3 hours ago, Tom Froemming said:

I think instead of Falvey and Adler they need to put Froemming and Gast at the forefront of this effort. We got this!

Especially if Tom wears that hat.

[bean5302]

2 hours ago, Bigfork Twins Guy said:

Maybe see if Kenta could put in a good word.  I think he liked his time with us.

Also, I thought I saw on another thread that he likes to fish and that we should entice him with a new fishing boat and solicit Kent Hrbek as a fishing guide.  Are there restrictions on additional goodies over and above our financial limit?

You mean the guy we forced out of the rotation in September, wasn't allowed to start in the playoffs, and we didn't want to bring back despite needing the rotation depth? While Maeda might have liked his time in Minnesota, the end of his tenue wasn't exactly rosy.

[bean5302]

1 hour ago, chpettit19 said:

This is what got the Braves in trouble a number of years ago and landed Yunior Severino with the Twins. No team would bring up his roster spot. He already knows he's making the team, not worth risking losing him and the severe penalties that'd come with it to mention what's already known. The first bait-n-switch already happened. It's why it's very unlikely to happen again. Especially with this well-known of a target. The league would come down crazy hard on a team doing this to make an example of them. The CBA has rules covering all that kind of stuff. Even hinting at extensions will get your pool money pulled and all your international signings released.

I think your position is a bit naive. It just means teams will be more careful about how they word it or they'll be more judicious when they choose to tamper.

"We really value our players and young core of our team, and we want to keep those players together. We were just thinking about making an offer to a pitcher for 6yrs and $80MM for example."

The Braves were breaking all kinds of rules including illegally tampering with players on other teams, and visiting international prospects too early. Stuff which was not only widespread, but far more visible and easier to prove.