Here's why Roki Sasaki can sign with Major League Baseball teams during a nine-day window starting Wednesday, an unusual free agency with ripple effects for Latin American teenagers whose unofficial agreements worth millions are on hold pending his decision.
Players residing outside of the 50 U.S. states, Puerto Rico and Canada are grouped together for baseball's international amateur free agency system, and Sasaki joins the 2025 group composed mostly of 16-year-olds — specifically players born between Sept. 1, 2007, and Aug. 31, 2008.
A prized 23-year-old right-hander, Sasaki could have gotten a nine-figure major league deal if he remained healthy and waited until after the 2026 season to be posted by his Japanese club and join MLB.
Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki's MLB deal could spur chaos in Latin America.
Because Sasaki is under 25 and has not played six seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball, he is classified as an international amateur by MLB.
