Free agent pitcher Roki Sasaki has added another team to his list of suitors.
Sasaki met with the Blue Jays in Toronto last week, according to Ken Rosenthal and Andy McCullough of The Athletic. The Blue Jays are among a long list of teams pursuing Sasaki as an amateur free agent.
The 23-year-old Sasaki is closing in on a decision, and the fact that Toronto got a meeting has to be hugely encouraging for them. The big lingering question is whether they will be able to overcome some issues that might drive Sasaki elsewhere. The pitcher is looking for a team that has shown itself capable of developing young pitching talent, and that has not been the Blue Jays in recent years.
Still, the Blue Jays have a seat at the table. They have pursued a whole host of top free agents this offseason, but never seemed to get close with any of them. That has not stopped them from continuing to try, and Sasaki is another example of the organization aiming high.
In his four seasons playing for Chiba Lotte in Japan, Sasaki has maintained a stellar 2.02 ERA and 0.88 WHIP across 69 starts. Only a handful of MLB teams are believed to have a shot at him.
