San Francisco Giants Viewed as Potential Destination for Next Japanese Superstar

The San Francisco Giants made a big splash in the international ranks this offseason, landing Jung Hoo Lee out of the KBO. With baseball expanding and adding players from all over the world, it was a promising sign that the Giants were able to land one of the top international players on the market.

Hoo Lee has been an early fan favorite in San Francisco. The left-handed outfielder is currently .246/.302/.317 in his first 126 at-bats.

Looking ahead to other potential stars, none are bigger than Japanese sensation Roki Sasaki. The right-handed pitcher is viewed as a potential generational talent, posting an ERA of 1.78 in 91.0 innings pitched in the JPPL last season. In his first four starts of the 2024 season, Sasaki has posted a 1.64 ERA in 33.0 innings pitched. He struck out 135 last season and has 37 strikeouts this season.

With the Los Angeles Dodgers landing Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the offseason, there's a chance Sasaki will join them. However, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, if he doesn't land with the Dodgers, the Giants could be in the mix. Nightengale wrote that one executive who knows him says Sasaki is soft-spoken, which could lead him to a slightly smaller market similar to San Francisco.

It's uncertain what the 22-year-old will sign for, but if Yamamoto got $325 million for 12 years and didn't throw a pitch in Major League Baseball, it's safe to say Sasaki is going to sign a ridiculous deal, too.

According to Stephen Wade of the Associated Press, due to the international system, a player under 25 who doesn't have six years of service in a foreign major league will be subjected to MLB's international amateur signing bonus pool. Teams were given $4.6 million to $7.1 million from January 15 through December 15 last year. The same system allowed the Los Angeles Angels to sign Ohtani for $2.3 million.

He's hoping to be posted after his 2024 season is finished. However, it's not guaranteed he'll be posted then.