Don’t Count the Twins Out on One Top Free Agent

This offseason is going to be interesting for the Minnesota Twins .

Its also probably going to be somewhat frustrating.

Although the payroll wont decrease , there isnt much room to add new talent either.

That means Derek Falvey must get creative when it comes to talent acquisition .

The ability to add a superstar for relative pennies would be an amazing come-up.

Roki Sasaki should be Minnesota Twins top target Coincidentally, Roki Sasaki being posted by the Chiba Lotte Marines gives the Minnesota Twins an avenue to accomplish that goal.

At just 23 years old, Sasaki is not eligible to sign a major league deal like Yoshinobu Yamamoto did last season.

His deal will be of the minor league variety, and more along the lines of Shohei Ohtani s first pact with the Los Angeles Angels ($2.3 million) .

Unlike landscape that is traditional free agency, Minnesota can compete with anyone in the pool of international free agency.

The Lotte Marines have announced they are posting right-handed pitcher Roki Sasaki, Kyodo News is reporting.

As a 22-year-old in Japan, Sasaki owned a 2.35 ERA and racked up 129 strikeouts in just 111 innings.

He had a lower 1.78 ERA in 91 innings during 2023, and his 173 strikeouts during 2022 came in just 129 1/3 innings.

Sasaki was a standout alongside Shohei Ohtani for Japan during the World Baseball Classic.

He wields a triple-digit fastball, and his pitching development should only ratchet up with major league coaching.

Sasaki wont immediately push for 200 innings, but when hes on the bump hitters will have problems.

Roki Sasaki from Iwate same Japanese prefecture as Ohtani.

26/29 fastballs in WBC vs.

Mexico were +100 mph.

Max: 102.5.

: Pitched perfect game (2022) 2x NPB All-Star (2022+2023) 19 Strikeouts single game (NPB) World Record Holder.

2023 WBC pic.twitter.com/lyPIv6E0Kg Although he doesnt hit like Ohtani, Sasaki is the embodiment of a free agent that is the dream for every front office.

The cost is minimal and the upside is immense.

Of course he must choose your organization, but that becomes Falveys top priority this winter.

How realistic is Roki Sasaki for the Twins? The assumption is that Sasaki will sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Their payroll outlay is at the top end of Major League Baseball.

There should be a slight pause there because money is not close to the determining factor here.

Each club has a set international bonus pool.

Currently the Dodgers have the largest remaining balance for 2024, but Sasakis posting date is not yet determined.

It is noted that Roki Sasaki would fall under the 2024 bonus pool.

The Dodgers have the largest remaining international signing bonus pool left at $2.5 million, meaning they could make the largest offer to him.

If Chiba Lotte waits until December 15th to post Sasaki, they would open him up to the 2025 International Free Agent class.

That would mean the fee paid to the Japanese club would be higher, and Sasaki could sign for a greater amount as well.

Minnesota is in line for a league high $7.5 million pool during that period.

For the 2024 period, the Twins have less than $2 million in spending power remaining.

MLBs Mark Feinsand shared a comment from an American League executive that understands just how this process will go.

Teams are going to have to sell themselves, not just write the biggest check.

It still may not be a level playing field because every team wont have what hes looking for, but the size of your payroll isnt necessarily as important.

West coast teams are still going to have the best shot.

Los Angeles has Ohtani, and the San Diego Padres have signed Japanese players in the past.

That said, Minnesota did dabble relatively deeply with Ohtani.

Thad Levines familiarity with Yu Darvish, and his time with the Texas Rangers, likely played into that.

He is no longer with the organization , but it wasnt until Ohtani cut down his final list that Minnesota bowed out.

Ultimately they traded bonus pool money to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for prospect David Banuelos.

Jerry Dipoto believed his club was in contention for Ohtani.

Coming soon to MLB: Roki Sasaki pic.twitter.com/nWEfIQmMNl The pitch made by the Twins will be an interesting one.

They dont currently have a single player from Japan on the 40-man roster.

Sasaki probably doesnt know that Minnesota exists either.

Still, whatever presentation they can make, they should be seeking to hit out of the park.

With limited spending and a need to improve, there is no player that would be a better fit for the Twins circumstances.

Fans shouldnt hold their breath for Sasaki to choose the Twins.

That doesnt mean that Minnesota doesnt have a legitimate chance, and even their self-imposed restrictions wont hold them back.

This article first appeared on Minnesota Sports Fan and was syndicated with permission..

This article has been shared from the original article on yardbarker, here is the link to the original article.