MLB insider reveals why Brewers could be dark horse destination for Roki Sasaki

It's not often the Milwaukee Brewers have a legitimate chance to sign one of the top free agents on the market. The economics of baseball keeps them out of the hunt for almost all of them, but that is not the case with Roki Sasaki.

Money is not going to be determining factor for the 23-year-old Japanese ace. His NPB team, the Chiba Lotte Marines, is posting him to MLB this offseason, and because of how young he is, Sasaki is subject to international signing period rules, which is a hard-capped system. The Brewers have one of the largest bonus pools available to them in 2025, so it's in their best interest that Sasaki count against next year's pool rather than 2024, which remains up for debate.

Whether you're the Dodgers or Yankees or any other large market club, the money that can be offered Sasaki is all the same. You don't need $700MM to compete for his services. It's all a matter of where Sasaki wants to go, and the Brewers have quite a bit to sell him on.

FanSided MLB insider Robert Murray was on Foul Territory on Tuesday and he explained why the Brewers are a very logical destination for the young ace starting pitcher.

Brewers should try to pursue Roki Sasaki in free agency

According to multiple reports, Roki Sasaki covets an organization with a strong reputation for player development and pitching development. The Milwaukee Brewers do fit that description. What the Brewers have done with pitching development in recent years has been special, turning Corbin Burnes into a Cy Young winner, turning Brandon Woodruff into an ace ... Freddy Peralta, Colin Rea, Tobias Myers? You name a pitcher, and the Brewers have maximized their potential.

Retaining Chris Hook as pitching coach was a big win for the organization to keep that continuity and Hook, along with Walker McKinven and Jim Henderson, make for a fantastic pitching development trio that the Brewers could use to convince Sasaki to sign in Milwaukee.

Sasaki has a fastball, splitter, and slider in his arsenal. His fastball sits upper-90s and hits 102 at times. His stuff took a bit of a step back in 2024, but every issue seems fixable in the right hands. Milwaukee has proven time and time again that they have the right hands and have the ability to make the minor tweaks necessary to maximize a player's pitches.

While many see West Coast teams as the favorites for Sasaki, as they historically have been for Japanese imports, the Brewers are a very logical landing spot for a player who covets pitching development. The Brewers can also pitch Sasaki on the defense he'll have behind him with a Platinum Glove winning second baseman, a Gold Glove outfielder, and a team Gold Glove award. Great defense is a tremendous help to pitching, and the Brewers have perfected that formula.

Murray believes there's a chance, and the Brewers absolutely should pursue Sasaki. He's affordable, since he'll have to be signed to a minor-league contract, and the Brewers could use a frontline starting pitcher. Freddy Peralta had his ups and downs as an ace in 2024, while Brandon Woodruff is returning from shoulder surgery, so there's no guarantee of what he can provide. Sasaki would provide a massive boost to the starting staff at a very affordable price.

With money not being a determining factor, but rather stability and pitching development, the Brewers have an advantage where other teams do not. If they can successfully press that advantage and prove to Sasaki that they are the best organization to develop him as a major league pitcher, they could sign him.

The chances of Sasaki becoming a Brewer are much higher than a potential Juan Soto pursuit being successful. It would fill a need in the starting rotation and they could do it for very cheap, only pulling from their international budget. Signing Sasaki may mean a couple of 16-year-olds from Latin America aren't able to sign on January 15th, but the Brewers should be more than willing to make that sacrifice.