The San Francisco Giants have ventured into international talent acquisition by signing Jung Hoo Lee during the offseason. Unfortunately, Lee sustained an early-season shoulder injury that required surgery, and he will miss the rest of the year.
Despite this setback, the move was a positive step for the Giants, who are in dire need of reinforcements through free agency. In recent years, San Francisco has struggled to retain top free agents in baseball.
There have been numerous missed opportunities for the organization, though the reasons remain unclear. Moving forward, it’s crucial for the Giants to address this issue, as they need to bolster their roster. While there are capable veterans on the team who can contribute significantly when they’re performing well, the overall roster would benefit from additional talent.
One promising option could be potential free agent Roki Sasaki. The right-handed pitcher is regarded as one of the top talents globally, and ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel reports that his contract could be limited to a maximum of $7 million.
This situation is reminiscent of Shohei Ohtani’s, where a team could sign Sasaki for a relatively low cost while he is among the best players available.
“If Sasaki joins this winter, he would be restricted by international bonus pools, similar to how Ohtani was when he signed for $2.3 million before the 2018 season. This means Sasaki’s maximum bonus would be around $7 million, without guaranteed major league salary. Since financial factors might not be the primary consideration for him, he could end up with just a few million dollars, depending on the team he chooses and their existing commitments.”
As the Giants prepare for the offseason, they will face several tough choices. However, signing a player of Sasaki’s caliber for such a low price seems like an obvious decision. Of course, Sasaki would need to be interested in playing for San Francisco, but the Giants’ storied history should make the prospect appealing.
San Francisco needs to move past their recent struggles in free agency, and adding a star like Sasaki would be an ideal way to start.
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