The dream has come to an abrupt end: star pitcher Roki Sasaki won’t be joining the New York Mets. The team was informed about this on Monday, as the talented Japanese pitcher has started to officially rule out teams in his free agency process.
The Mets were always candidates but never favorites, so the fact they have been told they aren’t signing Sasaki could be a blessing in disguise: it means they can go ahead with their previous international free agent commitments, and it means they can sign future star Elian Peña.
“With the Mets unlikely to land Sasaki, they are expected to move forward to their ~$5M verbal agreement with Dominican SS Elian Peña. It’ll be the largest amateur international free agent signing bonus in franchise history,” podcaster Joe DeMayo wrote on X.
The Mets have had a verbal agreement with Peña, one of the top prospects of this period, for a while. Now, they can put pen to paper on the contract that will bind the two parties for years to come on the 15th, when the new signing period starts.
Peña is considered the third-best international prospect by MLB Pipeline behind Sasaki and Josuar De Jesus González. The new Mets recruit is a 17-year-old shortstop with raw tools to become a star one day. It will take time, probably close to four or five years, if not more, though.
The Mets could have a future star in Peña
Specialists at MLB Pipeline wrote that Peña has been praised for his in-game savvy and off-the-field makeup. The hit tool is impressive: “Equipped with oodles of bat speed from the left side, he complements his propensity to hit the ball hard with some of the most advanced plate discipline seen on the international scene in years. It’s rare for a prospect so young to have a keen eye for the zone, but Pena routinely puts it on display while spraying the ball to all fields when he does cut it loose. The power is expected to come on as he continues to mature and adapt to the routine of pro ball,” they said.
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While still very young, scouts believe Peña has the ingredients to be an above-average defender at shortstop, with good instincts and footwork.
He might not have the MLB readiness of Sasaki at the moment, but the Mets could have a future difference-maker in Peña.