“A unique and special talent,” Roki Sasaki on Aaron Boone’s radar as Yankees eye Japanese pitcher

Aaron Boone hopes the Yankees are also in the race to acquire Japanese ace Roki Sasaki, although the focus remains on Juan Soto.

“A unique and special talent,” Roki Sasaki on Aaron Boone’s radar as Yankees eye Japanese pitcher

Aaron Boone and Roki Sasaki [Image Credit: Imago/CBS Sports]

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone recently answered questions about acquiring Roki Sasaki in the offseason. While he admitted the Japanese ace is certainly on the radar, the focus will remain on signing Juan Soto back.

Boone called Roki Sasaki a guy with “a unique and special talent” but acquiring him is something he has yet to discuss with the team. Sasaki already has several top team’s attention in MLB, with the “heavy favorites” being the Los Angeles Dodgers.

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Given their Japanese connections, Sasaki may likely sign with the team or may also look to start his career with a different organization. No guarantees or hints have been given regarding his offseason standpoint. 

The pitcher will hit the international market after the Chiba Lotte Marines complete their posting process. However, since he is coming to the MLB grounds before 25, he’ll be restricted to signing million-dollar contracts. As per MLB rules, a player in the international market has to hit the age of 25 to sign long-term contracts with MLB teams.

Sasaki will be coming to the majors as an amateur like Shohei Ohtani, who signed with the Los Angeles Angels in the beginning for $2.3 million. With the major team’s attention on the player, it’s no wonder the Yankees also want to be “in the mix”.

We’ll see. We know it’s a unique and special talent, a guy with top-of-the-rotation qualities. Hopefully we’re in the mix with him. But I really haven’t started to have those conversations even with our organization.

Aaron Boone as per Joseph Staszewski of NYPost.com.

On the other hand, Boone is excited to have Gerrit Cole back. He believes Cole is an essential part of the team and he has the “ability to evolve as he gets older.” He also added, “there’s a lot of loose ends to tie up organizationally, so we’ll see what unfolds.”

Aaron Boone to join Juan Soto meeting with Hal Steinbrenner

Following New York Mets owner Steve Cohen and Juan Soto’s meeting in Southern California, the Yankees are planning their own trip too. Pinstripes owner Hal Steinbrenner will be accompanied by manager Aaron Boone to meet Soto and his agent Scott Boras in the next week and a half.

Aaron Boone, Juan Soto, Hal Steinbrenner
Aaron Boone, Juan Soto, Hal Steinbrenner [Image Credit: Imago/Bleacher Report]

A Yankee executive also said that if it comes down to a financial battle, the organization will not lose Soto to any other team. The LA Dodgers also seem to be in the mix, but whether they’ll go for Soto, extend Teoscar Hernandez, or add Roki Sasaki is questionable.

I certainly would love to have him back obviously. I want him in pinstripes moving forward but you also know there’s going to be a lot of people competing for that, and who knows where it ends up?

Aaron Boone as per Larry Fleisher of Forbes.com.

The asking amount for Juan Soto’s contract is now $600 million, which can extend up to $700 million as per reports and rumors among the MLB community. His focus is not only on financial reports but also if the team can win a championship.

Which team he’ll end up joining is still in question, but the Yankees and Mets are the top contenders. As of now, the Yankees have offered him $21.05 million for 2025. They’ll speak further on adjustments in the contract, but the decision solely relies on Soto.