The Roki Sasaki sweepstakes have begun.
The Chiba Lotte Marines officially posted the 23-year-old right-handed flamethrower on Tuesday, the club announced. Sasaki will now be able to negotiate with all 30 MLB clubs during a 45-day window.
Sasaki has until 7 a.m. (JST) on Jan. 24 to sign with an MLB team. If he fails to sign a contract within that time, he will return to the Marines for the 2025 season. He is not expected to sign before the next international amateur signing period starts on Jan. 15 — though he can still sign earlier.
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