Roki Sasaki could rake in "$60M endorsements" like compatriot Shohei Ohtani without Dodgers deal, suggests former Marlins exec
One of the most interesting names to watch this offseason will be Roki Sasaki. Although there is no guarantee that he will be posted by his Japanese team, the Chiba Lotte Marines. If he is, he will be one of the most sought-after names in free agency.
The 23-year-old pitcher has made a name for himself in Nippon Professional Baseball thanks to his electric fastball and ability to rack up strikeout after strikeout. For Roki Sasaki, if he is able to make the jump to the MLB this season, he will undoubtedly land himself a life-changing contract from whichever team signs him.
No matter which team he eventually joins, Sasaki will undoubtedly make life-changing money when makes his way to the MLB. On the latest episode of Foul Territory, former Miami Marlins President David Samson said that he will likely be in line for considerable endorsement deals like those of Shohei Ohtani, regardless of where he signs.
"Ohtani, the reason he can defer the money with the Dodgers the way he did is that he makes about $60 million reportedly in endorsement income per year while he's playing, so therefore he can defer it out until his career is done," Samson said.
David Samson continued by explaining that just because Shohei Ohtani makes that massive amount of income from endorsements with the Los Angeles Dodgers, it doesn't mean that Roki Sasaki can't do the same with any other club.
"Of course he has an opportunity, Sasaki does, to do that but it doesn't mean that he has to be on the Dodgers to do that," Samson said of Sasaki's endorsement potential in the MLB.
Samson used examples of players such as Ichiro with the Seattle Mariners and Daisuke Matsuzaka with the Boston Red Sox as Japanese players who were able to secure lucrative endorsement deals with teams other than the Dodgers.
Roki Sasaki will have plenty of suitors if he is posted for MLB teams
Although the Los Angeles Dodgers are considered the favorites to land Roki Sasaki if he is posted by his Japanese club, there will undoubtedly be a number of clubs looking to secure his signature. The New York Yankees, New York Mets, and the Baltimore Orioles have all been linked to the 23-year-old pitching phenom.
If Sasaki is posted, he will join a starting pitcher market that could be loaded with All-Star talent. Corbin Burnes, Blake Snell and Max Fried are a few of the star pitchers looking to secure a new contract this offseason. While Sasaki's potential is sky-high, he is an unproven commodity in the MLB, which could turn some teams away from entering the sweepstakes.