"There's 3 things Roki Sasaki is gonna focus on" - MLB insider believes Padres, Mets favorites to land Japanese ace

The free agent market for starting pitchers is expected to heat up over the next few days. Roki Sasaki is one of the highly rated arms that are available for the teams this offseason.

MLB insider Jim Bowden feels the Japanese pitcher could be prioritizing three different aspects of a team and believes the San Diego Padres and the New York Mets are leading the race for his signature.

Roki Sasaki is a right-handed starting pitcher for the Chiba Lotte Marines in the Nippon Professional Baseball league in Japan. He's a two-time NPB All-Star and threw a perfect game for his team in April 2022. The Lotte Marines posted Sasaki to the MLB last month, paving the path for him to join other Japanese superstars that are playing in North America.

Veteran baseball writer Jim Bowden of The Athletic said that Roki Sasaki will consider three factors before signing a contract, on CBS Sports on Monday.

"The first one is endorsements. Where can he get the best endorsements? Bowden said. "That's going to play a factor because he's not going to be arbitration eligible for three years. He won't be available for free agency for six years. So, that's going to play a factor.

"Number two, he wants to win," Bowden continued. "He gets to pick. He's not going to go to a team that's not competitive. It's got to be a team that he thinks he's got a chance to go to the postseason every year. So, that's going to play a factor. And the other factor is pitching development. What team has the right pitching coach for him? What team has the right development?"

Bidding among MLB teams for Roki Sasaki will begin on Tuesday and may remain open until Jan. 23.

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Padres, Mets favorites to sign Roki Sasaki, as per Jim Bowden

Roki Sasaki and Yu Darvish won the 2023 World Baseball Classic with Japan (Image Source: Getty)

Standing 6-foot-4, Roki Sasaki possesses a fastball he can regularly throw above 100 miles per hour, while he also has a forkball, slider and curveball in his arsenal.

MLB insider Jim Bowden listed eight teams that are reportedly chasing the Japanese ace, with the San Diego Padres and the New York Mets poised as the favorites to acquire him.

"There are two teams that I think are in the lead right now," he said. "The San Diego Padres, where his godfather Yu Darvish is a member of the team. And the other place is the New York Mets.

"Are there other big markets that are going to be in this thing, like the Yankees, the Red Sox, Cubs? Sure, they're going to be in it," he added. "But if you're asking me right now what my sense is [on] who the early favorites to be? Clearly, the Padres and the Mets for me."

A.J. Preller, the Padres general manager, has a successful history in bringing over Japanese players to the MLB. Meanwhile, Mets owner Steve Cohen might look to add more pieces to the team after the blockbuster signing of Juan Soto.