When it was revealed that the Chiba Lotte Marines would post star pitcher Roki Sasaki, the entire baseball universe started to seriously pay attention.
This is a pitcher capable of throwing a baseball at triple digits as a starter, with a filthy splitter in the mold of Shohei Ohtani.
He has international experience and several years pitching for the Marines, yet he is still just 23.
Should the Cleveland Guardians be interested?
Well, of course.
They should be interested in any pitcher of that talent and potentially available for just international slot money, meaning his contract will be capped at around $7 million as a bonus if he waits until after January 15 to sign.
Now, are they interested?
No one knows for sure, but he does make plenty of sense for Cleveland.
“The Guardians would not comment when asked if they were interested in Sasaki. Teams cannot openly comment about players who do not belong to their organization, but how could they resist at least not taking part in the posting process for Sasaki?,” Guardians insider Paul Hoynes wrote.
Sasaki has stated that he will consider any team with a strong player development system, and the Guardians certainly qualify there.
Maybe Cleveland isn’t as enticing as New York or Los Angeles, but it does have plenty of things to offer and one of them is a solid team that just went to the American League Championship Series.
The Guards need starters, and Sasaki has ace potential in Cleveland.
He could be the missing piece for a true run at a World Series championship.
If the Guards can trade for some international pool money and add to their pot to entice Sasaki, they have a system in place in which he can succeed right away.
Yes, it’s unlikely, but Sasaki going to the Guardians isn’t impossible if they get creative.
NEXT: Emmanuel Clase Reveals If He Will Add Another Pitch Next Season
