ST. PETERSBURG — The Rays had “great” talks about the appealing things they could offer Roki Sasaki, the Japanese pitcher who is the most prized prospect on the international free-agent market.

The 2025 IFA period opened on January 15, and while some finalists for star Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki have not been able to spend, the Rays have spent nearly their entire $7,555,500 allotment ...

Ichiro Suzuki was one of the faces of baseball during the 2000s after making the jump from the Japanese League to join the ...

In speaking about the priorities of Roki Sasaki, the headliner of this year’s class of amateur international free agents, agent Joel Wolfe often pointed to pitching development as a priority for the ...

Don’t expect the Rays to nab the top prize, Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki, despite having the money and meeting several of his reported preferences: onfield success, strong pitching development ...

A pitcher who spent last season playing in Japan ... In 2023, Rodriguez’s 23 four-seam fastballs thrown with the Rays averaged 20.5 inches of induced vertical break, tied for the most rise ...

The decision is coming soon, so here's what to know about MLB's next big Japanese pitcher. Sasaki boasts incredible velocity, bringing arguably the hardest fastball Japan has ever seen.