"Roki Sasaki to the Angels confirmed", "He also follows Shohei Ohtani" - Fans react to superstar free agent following Mike Trout on social media

"Roki Sasaki to the Angels confirmed", "He also follows Shohei Ohtani" - Fans react to superstar free agent following Mike Trout on social media (Image Source: Imagn)
"Roki Sasaki to the Angels confirmed", "He also follows Shohei Ohtani" - Fans react to superstar free agent following Mike Trout on social media (Image Source: Imagn)

Roki Sasaki is arguably the most coveted starting pitcher available for teams in the free agent market this offseason. The bidding war among teams for the Japanese star will begin on Jan. 15.

Meanwhile, reports have emerged that Roki Sasaki is following Los Angeles Angels superstar Mike Trout on social media, giving rise to speculation that the pitcher is set to join the team in the near future. Fans posted their reactions to the remarkable prospect.

The update was published by Dugout Report on Sunday amid a couple of uneventful days in the free agent market. According to the report, Mike Trout is the only US player Roki Sasaki follows on social media who hasn't previously played in the NPB or for Team Japan.

Sasaki has reportedly been courted by many major league teams, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres and the New York Yankees, who are regarded as the frontrunners to sign him. Now the Los Angeles Angels have also been added to the list because of this bit of news.

Most fans took a satirical perspective on the matter, judging by their comments on Instagram.

"Roki Sasaki to the Angels confirmed," wrote one fan.
Fan comments (Image Source: Instagram)
Fan comments (Image Source: Instagram)
"He also follows Senga and Ohtani," said another fan.
Fan comments (Image Source: Instagram)
Fan comments (Image Source: Instagram)
"The team that is known for their pitching lab and wasting six years of Ohtani and Trout together," another fan posted.
(Image Source: Instagram)
(Image Source: Instagram)

The sarcastic jabs continued on Instagram:

"Who doesn't follow Mike Trout?," asked one fan rhetorically.
"I follow Mike Trout. I guess I’m gonna go play for the Angels now," wrote another.
"Mike Trout to Yankees confirmed," added another fan.

There's a lot of hullabaloo over Sasaki in North America at the moment, but the Japanese pitcher is back in his native country right now.


Who is Roki Sasaki?

Roki Sasaki was part of the Team Japan pitching staff in the 2023 WBC (Image Source: Imagn)
Roki Sasaki was part of the Team Japan pitching staff in the 2023 WBC (Image Source: Imagn)

Roki Sasaki has been one of the dominant starting pitchers in the NPB league of Japan over the past few years. The 23-year-old is a two-time NPB All-Star and pitched a perfect game in April 2022. Upon his request, Sasaki was posted by the Chiba Lotte Marines to the MLB international free agent market in November.

However, due to the restrictions on foreign-born players under 25 and with less than six years of professional service, Sasaki will be subject to international bonus pool money restrictions. Therefore, he will initially be available for the value of a minor league contract in the MLB.

So, Sasaki is now placed in the international amateur period, which begins on January 15 and stretches until January 23. If the Japanese pitcher doesn't agree to a deal by then, he will have to return to the Chiba Lotte Marines for the 2025 season.

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Edited by Bhargav
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