With Roki Sasaki officially posted, agent Joel Wolfe discusses upcoming free agent process

DALLAS — The Roki Sasaki sweepstakes are astir to power up.

Sasaki’s agent, Joel Wolfe, met pinch a throng of reporters connected Tuesday astatine the Hilton Anatole connected the 2nd time of MLB’s Winter Meetings, wherever he announced that the 23-year-old Japanese pitcher had officially been posted to MLB.

Sasaki will beryllium eligible to motion arsenic an world amateur free supplier erstwhile the adjacent world signing play originates connected Jan. 15.

Previously, Wolfe had been prohibited to speak astatine magnitude astir Sasaki until his charismatic posting. On Tuesday, he offered caller specifications astir the posting process, which teams Sasaki mightiness for illustration to motion pinch and what’s important to him successful uncovering a team.

Among the notable points:

Meeting pinch teams

Wolfe and his agency will walk the adjacent period aliases truthful helping Sasaki representation retired his options and constrictive down suitors. Currently, Sasaki is walking to the United States, and he will statesman gathering pinch teams adjacent week earlier going location conscionable earlier Christmas.

Rather than recreation to possibly much than a twelve cities for the first information of meetings, Wolfe plans to person teams meet pinch Sasaki astatine a cardinal location adjacent week.  Wolfe didn’t connection a group number of teams they’d beryllium meeting, but he did opportunity much than half the convention scouted Sasaki successful Japan. When Sasaki returns to the U.S. successful early January, he’ll person narrowed down his options and is apt to recreation to immoderate cities for much in-person meetings.

While Sasaki was posted connected Tuesday, teams cannot motion him until Jan. 15 erstwhile the caller world signing play opens. The 45-day posting play ends Jan. 24 truthful successful essence, Sasaki must motion betwixt Jan. 15 and Jan. 24. Wolfe hoped it would beryllium person to Jan. 15 truthful that he would person capable clip to use for a visa and get successful outpouring training connected time.

“We’re gonna time off it open-ended, depending connected really the first information of meetings go, really galore meetings he really has, really galore full meetings he plans to have,” Wolfe said. “Teams person already begun sending presentations some successful video and PowerPoint, PDF-form, that benignant of thing. But we didn’t springiness teams a difficult deadline to taxable that accusation because we want them to beryllium capable to put the clip successful to do it right. Obviously immoderate teams were already moving connected these things, immoderate of them for months I believe.”

Media issues

Wolfe noted that Sasaki has had a difficult clip pinch the media successful Japan complete his desire to time off NPB for MLB astatine specified a young age. In Japanese culture, it’s considered disrespectful, and, arsenic a result, Sasaki has been taxable to mendacious rumors and accusations.

“A batch of group jumped connected committee there, creating immoderate mendacious rumors astir him and his family,” Wolfe said. “It was very detrimental to his intelligence state.”

Because of that, Wolfe was asked if Sasaki would for illustration smaller marketplace teams versus large marketplace ones.

“I deliberation that there’s an statement to beryllium made that a smaller, mid-market squad mightiness beryllium much beneficial for him arsenic a soft landing coming from Japan, fixed what he’s been done and not having an enjoyable acquisition pinch the media. It might beryllium — I’m not saying it will beryllium — I don’t cognize really he’s going to position it but it mightiness beryllium beneficial for him to beryllium successful a smaller market. I really don’t cognize really he looks astatine it yet because I haven’t had a chance to really beryllium down and talk it pinch him successful awesome detail.”

Injury status

Wolfe confirmed that Sasaki, who only sounded 111 innings this season, dealt pinch enarthrosis inflammation and soreness while dealing pinch an oblique wounded past season.

Coastal bias?

Wolfe said that Sasaki has ne'er mentioned a desire to play connected the West Coast because it is geographically person to Japan.

“I deliberation astir 5 aliases 10 years agone that was thing that possibly they weighed a small spot more, but now you tin alert nonstop from Japan to astir of the awesome cities successful the U.S. It’s not really that overmuch of an rumor anymore.”

Japanese teammates

Wolfe besides represents Kodai Senga and Wolfe recalled receiving questions astir whether having Japanese teammates would beryllium considered an obstacle aliases an attraction. Wolfe has yet to talk Sasaki’s penchant pinch him but noted that each subordinate is different.

“I’m willing to spot really he feels astir whether he would want to beryllium first aliases 1 of the first successful a spot that hasn’t had a Japanese subordinate successful immoderate time,” Wolfe said.

Nevertheless, Sasaki is known to idolize San Diego Padres right-hander Yu Darvish and was asked if the Padres would person an separator because of that.

“I would presume that would beryllium a squad that he would earnestly consider, but his narration pinch Darvish is backstage betwixt the 2 of them,” he said. “How overmuch that will measurement connected his decision-making, we’ll person to find out.”

Wolfe noted Sasaki has paid attraction to really MLB teams person performed successful caller years and their wide success, noting Sasaki watches a batch of MLB, peculiarly his erstwhile World Baseball Classic teammates from Team Japan.

“He’s talked to a batch of players, overseas players, that person been connected his (Nippon Professional Baseball) squad pinch Chiba Lotte,” Wolfe said. “He asked a batch of questions astir weather, astir comfortability, astir pitching development. And conscionable watching what different Japanese players successful the awesome leagues are doing and really they are doing.”

International prize excavation money

Because Sasaki tin only beryllium signed done each team’s world prize pools, which scope from astir $5.1 cardinal to $7.5 million, Wolfe said he planned to counsel Sasaki against signing for the astir money.

“Given the spread successful the prize excavation amounts is truthful negligible, my proposal to him is don’t make a determination based connected that because the semipermanent arc of your profession is wherever you’re going to gain your money,” he said, “so it’s astir apt not advisable to make a short-term determination successful that regard. To return each of the factors into consideration.”

MLB teams are prohibited from discussing plans for semipermanent extensions pinch Sasaki during their presentations to him.

(Photo of Sasaki: Eric Espada / Getty Images)

Jen McCaffrey is simply a unit writer for The Athletic covering the Boston Red Sox. Prior to joining The Athletic, the Syracuse postgraduate spent 4 years arsenic a Red Sox newsman for MassLive.com and 3 years arsenic a sports newsman for the Cape Cod Times. Follow Jen connected Twitter @jcmccaffrey