Roki Sasaki Free Agency - White Sox have a presentation

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

1 hour ago, Dick Allen said:

I just don’t see how Iguchi ‘s experience almost 2 decades ago would have or should have any  weight.  You get to pick your team. This is rare for someone his age. You can pick a team that wins and eventually pays or, or a team that doesn’t and eventually trades you. 
 

Getz has been asked about a timeline, and he doesn’t have one. Why, if the money is around the same initially, except playing in oblivion probably hurts his off the field money, would a guy who could go anywhere, sign with a team that has no idea when or if they will good?

We all know the odds are long .I'm just pointing out that Iguchi was his manager and looked out for him and Iguchi really liked playing for the Sox and wants to come back. If Iguchi was a coach with the Sox it would be a familiar face and father figure and could be an invaluable mentor to Sasaki.

If you don't think it holds any weight so be it. I think the kid would like to have Iguchi around and that's the best chance the Sox have if they can match the money and find ways to trade for more since their pool money is less no matter when he decides to sign.

[southsider2k5]

2 hours ago, Dick Allen said:

If Chris Getz was offering more money than anyone else, I would buy into his vision too.

He's locked into a team's international bonus pool, and considering how little of it the Sox usually spend, in theory they could be a leader there, that is unless a team with a bigger overall pool refuses to honor an agreement to give it all to Sasaki.

[southsider2k5]

1 hour ago, Dick Allen said:

I just don’t see how Iguchi ‘s experience almost 2 decades ago would have or should have any  weight.  You get to pick your team. This is rare for someone his age. You can pick a team that wins and eventually pays or, or a team that doesn’t and eventually trades you. 
 

Getz has been asked about a timeline, and he doesn’t have one. Why, if the money is around the same initially, except playing in oblivion probably hurts his off the field money, would a guy who could go anywhere, sign with a team that has no idea when or if they will good?

Especially when a lot of teams have Japanese players now to give feedback on, if this is even a thing.

[Quin]

For what it's worth, I don't think Iguchi matters too much. But if they were close in anyway, I imagine him saying something like "Chicago's a fun city to play/live in, Philly sucks" would hurt the Phillies and at least give the Sox a chance to give a presentation. Still laughed at, but it's something.

[Rey21]

I’m just happy to be here 🤣

It sounds dumb but the Sox need to fight their way to get in on these convos with the Asian players, for years they’ve neglected this continent way too much. Happy to see them at least trying albeit won’t result in him coming here. Feel like he’s destined to be a Padre, Dodger, or Cub just makes way too much sense for him

[southsider2k5]

14 minutes ago, Quin said:

For what it's worth, I don't think Iguchi matters too much. But if they were close in anyway, I imagine him saying something like "Chicago's a fun city to play/live in, Philly sucks" would hurt the Phillies and at least give the Sox a chance to give a presentation. Still laughed at, but it's something.

Could it help?  Sure.  Would it outweigh the sorry state this franchise is in,  probably not.  

[WestEddy]

10 minutes ago, Quin said:

For what it's worth, I don't think Iguchi matters too much. But if they were close in anyway, I imagine him saying something like "Chicago's a fun city to play/live in, Philly sucks" would hurt the Phillies and at least give the Sox a chance to give a presentation. Still laughed at, but it's something.

Why laughed at? It's silly to pretend that the White Sox will never win 60 games in a season again. The FO will be relatively stable while Reinsdorf's alive. He's getting in on the ground floor of a rebuild, and will be the man for all 6 seasons on the South Side. If the Sox or subsequent owners don't step up to the plate, dude's a free agent at 28. Already, 2025's going to be a "Kids Can Play" season. 26 is only going to be more fun for the team as they grow into a contender. 

It's a compelling situation, and it looks like the only team being mentioned from that angle.

[caulfield12]

"With that in mind, the Dodgers might not be an ideal landing spot for Sasaki," Bowden wrote. "In Los Angeles, he’d be in the shadow of both Ohtani and Yamamoto, which would lessen his endorsement ceiling. Yamamoto has experienced this to a degree, as being on the same team as Ohtani has led to Kodai Senga of the New York Mets drawing more endorsement deals than Yamamoto, according to a league source. It only makes sense that Sasaki will consider this factor in making his decision."

Bowden also addresses the never-ending media presence in Los Angeles, which could be a hindrance for Sasaki. 

"With the Dodgers, Sasaki would also encounter the massive Japanese media presence — as high as 25 to 35 people — that regularly covers the team," Bowden wrote. "While he’ll surely be closely watched wherever he signs, that level of attention is not the best situation for a young, developing pitcher."

https://www.si.com/mlb/dodgers/news/mlb-insider-reveals-why-it-is-unlikely-dodgers-sign-roki-sasaki-01jcrmkz5bxc

 

Bowden believes Sasaki and Wasserman, the agency that represents him, will try to get a more considerable source of income through endorsements. The MLB insider is insistent that Sasaki won't want to be in the shadows of Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, which would prevent the young pitcher from maximizing on endorsements.

 

Edited Sunday at 04:34 PM by caulfield12

[Rey21]

“Roki, we have a huge endorsement opportunity for you, meet our mang Howard Aiken” 

[Eminor3rd]

2 hours ago, CaliSoxFanViaSWside said:

We all know the odds are long .I'm just pointing out that Iguchi was his manager and looked out for him and Iguchi really liked playing for the Sox and wants to come back. If Iguchi was a coach with the Sox it would be a familiar face and father figure and could be an invaluable mentor to Sasaki.

If you don't think it holds any weight so be it. I think the kid would like to have Iguchi around and that's the best chance the Sox have if they can match the money and find ways to trade for more since their pool money is less no matter when he decides to sign.

For some context, Iguchi was let go as manager to make room for the promotion of Masato Yoshii, who was previously the pitching coach, and has a very close relationship with Sasaki. Yoshii is known to be a health/biomechanics expert, and it has been speculated that his promotion was the result of the Marines considering Sasaki the most important part of the organization; no one was more familiar with Sasaki's unique health situation nor better positioned to manage it.

I will admit that it can be very confusing to attempt to follow these types of things as a non-Japanese person, because the language is so impossible to map to Latin-based languages, and the layers of obfuscation they tend to speak with, particularly to the media and particularly with matters that affect reputation, can be even more confounding. But regardless of what actually led to those managerial moves, I would think it very unlikely that Iguchi would have been let go if Sasaki found him to be personally important. 

But, you know. I don't really know, of course.

[hi8is]

4 hours ago, CaliSoxFanViaSWside said:

Sure but we do have some selling points to present if Getz chooses that path.

For all we know Getz hasn't reached out to Iguchi. I don't know of any reporter who has asked him if he has yet in recent interviews during the many times he spoke at the Winter meetings. I'd be interested in knowing that. It seems like the best way to do it. Having Iguchi there representing and pumping up the Sox as a soft landing spot would be ideal.

Well of course they’re incorporating Gooch… and it’s yet another example of incompetence that the press corpse didn’t ask him specifically.

Our ineptitude has bled out even into our media field. Shocking.

I’m just a fucking peace around here these days. Oh boy. Yay. Go White Sox. I’m so excited. Yeppiee! Yahoo!!! 

[hi8is]

45 minutes ago, caulfield12 said:

Bowden believes Sasaki and Wasserman, the agency that represents him, will try to get a more considerable source of income through endorsements. The MLB insider is insistent that Sasaki won't want to be in the shadows of Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, which would prevent the young pitcher from maximizing on endorsements.

I don’t buy it one bit… if anything, I think it INCREASES his endorsement opportunities. The Dodgers fanbase in Japan now likely matches or exceeds their local base.

[hi8is]

22 minutes ago, Eminor3rd said:

But, you know. I don't really know, of course.

Most informative post I’ve read on this topic… so now you know that.

[Quin]

2 hours ago, WestEddy said:

Why laughed at? It's silly to pretend that the White Sox will never win 60 games in a season again. The FO will be relatively stable while Reinsdorf's alive. He's getting in on the ground floor of a rebuild, and will be the man for all 6 seasons on the South Side. If the Sox or subsequent owners don't step up to the plate, dude's a free agent at 28. Already, 2025's going to be a "Kids Can Play" season. 26 is only going to be more fun for the team as they grow into a contender. 

It's a compelling situation, and it looks like the only team being mentioned from that angle.

Cause it's a hard, hard sell. You're get laughed at to start, but you gotta keep them after that.

[Dick Allen]

4 hours ago, CaliSoxFanViaSWside said:

We all know the odds are long .I'm just pointing out that Iguchi was his manager and looked out for him and Iguchi really liked playing for the Sox and wants to come back. If Iguchi was a coach with the Sox it would be a familiar face and father figure and could be an invaluable mentor to Sasaki.

If you don't think it holds any weight so be it. I think the kid would like to have Iguchi around and that's the best chance the Sox have if they can match the money and find ways to trade for more since their pool money is less no matter when he decides to sign.

If Tadahito Iguchi as a coach closes the deal for this guy, there are 29 teams besides the White Sox that would hire him, and be willing to pay him more than the White Sox pay their manager. If he is playing for pool money, he needs to maximize outside income,. How is that done with the White Sox who won’t be on national TV. Won’t play any meaningful games except for losing for draft position!. .And how long will the team be like this? You would have to think at least until this guy is in his arb years. He will be out of sight and out of mind until the Sox trade him.Why pitch for a team that  doesn’t have the ability to maximize your success?

[WhiteSox2023]

2 hours ago, Rey21 said:

“Roki, we have a huge endorsement opportunity for you, meet our mang Howard Aiken” 

Injury law made personal!

[WestEddy]

21 minutes ago, Dick Allen said:

If Tadahito Iguchi as a coach closes the deal for this guy, there are 29 teams besides the White Sox that would hire him, and be willing to pay him more than the White Sox pay their manager. If he is playing for pool money, he needs to maximize outside income,. How is that done with the White Sox who won’t be on national TV. Won’t play any meaningful games except for losing for draft position!. .And how long will the team be like this? You would have to think at least until this guy is in his arb years. He will be out of sight and out of mind until the Sox trade him.Why pitch for a team that  doesn’t have the ability to maximize your success?

Chicago's a destination. Again, we're already going to have a team of rookies. Roki could be the veteran of the rotation. We're slotting in 1st or 2nd year guys at 4-5 positions a night. The team will already be sneaking up on some in 2026. Not saying they'll be in the pennant race, but they'll have nice streaks that'll make the summer interesting. There are already Japanese players in Chicago to lean on. The Cubs/Sox rivalry is fun in a way that I don't think the Mets/Yanks or Dodgers/Angels are. 

[Dick Allen]

2 hours ago, WestEddy said:

Chicago's a destination. Again, we're already going to have a team of rookies. Roki could be the veteran of the rotation. We're slotting in 1st or 2nd year guys at 4-5 positions a night. The team will already be sneaking up on some in 2026. Not saying they'll be in the pennant race, but they'll have nice streaks that'll make the summer interesting. There are already Japanese players in Chicago to lean on. The Cubs/Sox rivalry is fun in a way that I don't think the Mets/Yanks or Dodgers/Angels are. 

Then why not play for the Cubs?  If this was Angelstalk.com, we would be laughing at the thought this guy would even consider the White Sox.

[Chicago White Sox]

5 minutes ago, Dick Allen said:

Then why not play for the Cubs?  If this was Angelstalk.com, we would be laughing at the thought this guy would even consider the White Sox.

And yet Ohtani chose the Angels over the Dodgers in the same exact situation.  I think the reality is this dude is passing over tens of millions of dollars by not waiting two years…his mindset is very different than the average MLBer.  It’s really hard to predict what he will do, even if it’s incredibly unlikely he signs with us.

[Bob Sacamano]

7 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

And yet Ohtani chose the Angels over the Dodgers in the same exact situation.  I think the reality is this dude is passing over tens of millions of dollars by not waiting two years…his mindset is very different than the average MLBer.  It’s really hard to predict what he will do, even if it’s incredibly unlikely he signs with us.

NL didn’t have the DH spot yet. Ohtani was always ticketed for an AL team.

[Dick Allen]

22 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

And yet Ohtani chose the Angels over the Dodgers in the same exact situation.  I think the reality is this dude is passing over tens of millions of dollars by not waiting two years…his mindset is very different than the average MLBer.  It’s really hard to predict what he will do, even if it’s incredibly unlikely he signs with us.

No one is giving up what he is giving up to sign with the worst team of all time. It’s ludicrous to even think there is a 50;000 to 1 shot. But I do agree they should take a shot, but it’s like buying  mega ball tickets when the pot is over a billion.

Edited Sunday at 11:14 PM by Dick Allen

[WhiteSox2023]

5 minutes ago, Dick Allen said:

No one is giving up what he is giving up to sign with the worst team of all time.

I think deep down, we all know this isn’t happening.  🤣

[fathom]

39 minutes ago, Dick Allen said:

Then why not play for the Cubs?  If this was Angelstalk.com, we would be laughing at the thought this guy would even consider the White Sox.

There’s no shot he’s coming to the Sox if he wants endorsements

[WestEddy]

40 minutes ago, Dick Allen said:

Then why not play for the Cubs?  If this was Angelstalk.com, we would be laughing at the thought this guy would even consider the White Sox.

Because he'd be just one of a bunch of Japanese players on a team. He'd be the only one on the Sox, therefore, solely representing the Sox' end of the "rivalry".  

Laughing? Okay. The Sox were mentioned as a team being seriously considered. It's not like they threw the Savannah Bananas at the end of the list to fill it out. If this was Angelstalk, all of you glum ones would be crawling over each other to shut down any happy talk with a declaration that the Angels would never win again until Artie Moreno died. 

[Dick Allen]

13 minutes ago, WestEddy said:

Because he'd be just one of a bunch of Japanese players on a team. He'd be the only one on the Sox, therefore, solely representing the Sox' end of the "rivalry".  

Laughing? Okay. The Sox were mentioned as a team being seriously considered. It's not like they threw the Savannah Bananas at the end of the list to fill it out. If this was Angelstalk, all of you glum ones would be crawling over each other to shut down any happy talk with a declaration that the Angels would never win again until Artie Moreno died. 

By a guy who is just a guy and probably did a google search and saw the Sox were giving him a presentation.