Why Can’t Roki Sasaki Earn as Much as Shohei Ohtani?
Roki Sasaki, the Japanese pitching sensation, is the most sought-after talent in MLB’s offseason. Despite his extraordinary potential, Sasaki’s first MLB contract will be far less lucrative than Shohei Ohtani’s. Why would a generational pitcher sign for a fraction of his worth? The answer lies in MLB’s intricate and controversial international free agency rules, which place Sasaki in a financial bind that seems unfair for a player of his caliber.
MLB’s International Free Agency System: How It Works
MLB categorizes international free agents into two distinct groups:
- Professionals: Players aged 25 or older with at least six years of professional experience in a foreign league. These players enter the market as unrestricted free agents and can sign for any amount their talent demands.
- Amateurs: Players younger than 25 or with fewer than six seasons of professional play. These players are subject to strict financial limitations dictated by MLB’s international bonus pool system.
The International Bonus Pool
To prevent wealthier teams from monopolizing international amateur talent, MLB caps how much each team can spend on signing bonuses. Every team is allocated a pool ranging from $4.75 million to $5.75 million, with the option to trade for additional bonus money. Once the pool is exhausted, teams cannot offer higher signing bonuses to amateur players.
While this system levels the playing field for smaller-market teams, it inadvertently suppresses the earning potential of exceptional young talent like Roki Sasaki, who finds himself lumped into the “amateur” category despite his professional experience in Japan.
Why Roki Sasaki Is Classified as an Amateur Free Agent
At just 23 years old and with four seasons of professional experience with the Chiba Lotte Marines, Sasaki falls short of MLB’s criteria for professional free agents. This forces him into the amateur free agency pool, where his earnings are capped by the international bonus system.
In this classification, Sasaki will likely sign a Minor League contract with a signing bonus capped around $10 million, a far cry from the $325 million contract Yoshinobu Yamamoto, a 25-year-old professional free agent, secured last offseason with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
This disparity highlights a glaring flaw in MLB’s rules: age and experience thresholds that fail to account for exceptional talent. Sasaki’s case underscores how these regulations can undervalue elite players entering the league at a younger age.
Shohei Ohtani’s Precedent: A Familiar Path
Sasaki’s journey draws inevitable comparisons to Shohei Ohtani, who faced similar challenges when entering MLB. In 2017, Ohtani left Japan’s Nippon-Ham Fighters at age 23, just like Sasaki. Despite being a generational talent, Ohtani received a modest signing bonus of $2.315 million under the same amateur free agency rules.
Ohtani, however, used his time in MLB to become a global superstar. His unparalleled two-way play earned him massive endorsement deals, and he eventually signed a record-breaking $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers after qualifying as a professional free agent.
Sasaki appears to be following Ohtani’s blueprint: prioritizing early exposure to MLB competition over immediate financial rewards. While his initial contract will be underwhelming, the long-term potential for stardom—and eventual financial windfall—is immense.
The Financial Impact: A Bargain for MLB Teams
The team that signs Sasaki—likely the Los Angeles Dodgers or San Diego Padres—will secure an ace at a bargain price. Sasaki’s elite fastball, which consistently reaches triple digits, and his ability to dominate hitters make him a rare find. Yet, under MLB’s rules, his financial compensation won’t reflect his market value.
For MLB franchises, this represents an incredible opportunity. For Sasaki, it’s a temporary sacrifice. However, critics argue that MLB’s rules penalize young international stars and discourage them from making the jump to the majors.
Criticism of the Current System
MLB’s international free agency rules were designed to create parity, but they often disadvantage the most talented players. Critics highlight several key issues:
- Suppressed Earnings: Players like Sasaki and Ohtani are forced to accept artificially low contracts, even though their talents could command far higher sums.
- Delayed Market Entry: The age and experience thresholds discourage younger players from entering MLB, as waiting until they qualify as professionals offers much greater financial rewards.
- Unfair Comparisons: By grouping elite international players with raw, unproven prospects, MLB’s system fails to differentiate between levels of talent and professional experience.
These issues have sparked calls for reform, with some suggesting that MLB should create a separate category for players like Sasaki who are under 25 but have demonstrated professional excellence.
What’s Next for Roki Sasaki?
Despite the financial limitations, Sasaki’s decision to join MLB now reflects his confidence in his abilities and his desire to compete at the highest level. His immediate focus will be on establishing himself as a dominant force in the majors.
Over time, Sasaki will have the opportunity to renegotiate his value. Once he qualifies as a professional free agent, he could secure a contract rivaling or even surpassing Ohtani’s $700 million deal.
Conclusion
The question of why Roki Sasaki can’t earn as much as Shohei Ohtani comes down to MLB’s international free agency rules. These regulations, while well-intentioned, fail to account for exceptional talent, creating an uneven playing field for young international stars.
For Sasaki, the journey ahead will likely mirror Ohtani’s: an initial period of financial sacrifice, followed by years of dominance and eventual superstardom. While the system may currently undervalue him, Sasaki’s potential to become one of MLB’s most electrifying players is undeniable.
The world will be watching as this pitching phenom begins his MLB career, poised to prove that his talent transcends the constraints of the league’s outdated rules.
