The New York Mets have enjoyed an active off-season with many upgrades and useful additions, most notably Juan Soto on a record-setting contract. They also needed to address their rotation and did it with three key signings: Clay Holmes, Frankie Montas, and the return of Sean Manaea.
The Mets still face uncertainty in their pitching
Still, due to uncertainty surrounding Kodai Senga’s ability to remain healthy for an entire season and the risk factor attached to most of the aforementioned names, the Mets could use some experience, upside, and sheer stuff at the top of the staff.
That is why they could be a phenomenal landing spot for Japanese star Roki Sasaki. The pitcher’s agent suggested they were impressed by the Mets’ pitching coach Jeremy Hefner and their ability to develop hurlers, so that’s certainly a plus.
Mets still hoping to land Roki Sasaki
Sasaki’s agent Joel Wolfe said, around the Winter Meetings earlier this month, that landing on a small market wouldn’t be a bad idea to start his big league career. Just to clarify, Wolfe said this week that market size isn’t a factor, which bodes well for the Mets.
“Market size isn’t a factor either way,” Wolfe said on Monday evening in a text message to SNY.
The Mets aren’t favorites but have a very good chance to land Sasaki
Wolfe provided some key details of where things stand regarding Sasaki at the moment. He said that 20 teams reached out to the pitcher with recruiting materials, but no players were present at the meetings at Sasaki’s request.
Right now, Sasaki is in Japan working on the next steps of the process, as the Mets patiently wait. There is a chance he will meet with one or two additional organizations, but the most likely scenario has him starting to eliminate teams soon.
A decision, per Wolfe, is expected between January 15 and 23. Wolfe said that “Sasaki is driven to be the best, and is prioritizing teams whose pitching programs will make him better”. That last thing in the item is covered thanks to David Stearns, Hefner, and the rest of the Mets’ player and pitching development staff.
The Mets might not be favorites (that distinction goes to the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres), but they are doing everything in their power to land the pitcher with the career 2.10 ERA in four seasons in the NPB.
