Scott Harris hasn't seen Roki Sasaki pitch in person. He doesn't need to. Harris has seen enough video to know that the 23-year-old from Japan is "one of the more talented young pitchers in baseball" -- and that the Tigers will do all they can to lure him to Detroit.
"Every team in baseball wants Roki Sasaki. We do, too," Harris said Tuesday at the MLB Winter Meetings in Dallas. "We're hard at work on a presentation to position this organization as appealing to Roki and his agent. It's going to be pretty fierce competition and we're hard at work to make our case, and we'll see how it goes. But yeah, consider us interested in Sasaki."
The Tigers are mostly done pursuing starting pitching this winter after adding Alex Cobb to a crowded rotation. They will make an exception for Sasaki. He is that good, and perhaps that attainable. A day after Sasaki was posted for MLB teams, his agent Joel Wolfe took to a podium in Dallas and dismissed the idea that Sasaki is already ticketed for a big-market club like the Dodgers who have fellow Japanese stars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto on their roster.
"I think there's an argument to be made that a smaller or mid-market team might be more beneficial for him as a soft landing coming from Japan, given what he's been through, not having an enjoyable experience with the media," said Wolfe. "It might be beneficial for him to be in a smaller market."
More than that, Sasaki's status as an international amateur -- unlike Yamamoto who signed a $325 million deal with the Dodgers after he was posted last November -- means that MLB teams can only offer him international bonus money on top of a minor league contract. The Tigers are one of eight teams with the maximum bonus pool this year of $7.55 million, though a good chunk of that is tabbed for 16-year-old Dominican slugger Cris Rodriguez who's expected to sign with Detroit next month.
When they make their pitch to Sasaki, the Tigers can point to a clubhouse that includes his countryman Kenta Maeda, for one. It was their hope when they signed Maeda last offseason that his presence would help them build a bridge into the market for Japanese players. They can also cite an advanced pitching department that's begun to separate them from other teams. This could be the key to getting and keeping Sasaki's attention.
Sasaki has kept a close eye on MLB teams, said his agent. He watches lots of games and "asks lots of questions" about factors like "pitching development." With Chris Fetter leading the way, the Tigers have made the most of the arms under their watch. Starters Jack Flaherty and Michael Lorenzen relaunched their careers in Detroit, while a rotation comprised mostly of relievers pushed the team to the playoffs last season. Meada is a rather glaring exception, but the Tigers believe a modified training regimen will help him bounce back next season.
"We have really talented pitching coaches and we have pushed ourselves to think of development in a more comprehensive way," Harris said.
To the Tigers, variables like nutrition, mobility and flexibility are as critical as "what you work on in the bullpen." Their pitchers are understanding their own bodies in new ways, and enacting meaningful changes to the grips, shapes or deployment of their pitches at the discretion of the coaches. For Flaherty, it was ditching a cutter and adjusting his slider grip. For Lorenzen, simplifying his arsenal and trusting in the science to develop a better routine before day games.
"Our approach to pitching development has definitely produced results over the last couple of years and I think we've started to rebrand this organization as a destination for pitchers," said Harris. "I have noticed that (free agent) pitchers have been more receptive this year and in recent years than they were the first year I got here."
For example, said Harris, "one thing we've heard quite a few times is, 'I remember facing you guys. You guys can really pitch.' Or like, 'I watched the series against the Astros, you got some good arms back there.' I think that piques some interest around the league that we are performing well when you watch us, and we had the best ERA in baseball (last season) from August 1st on."
Harris credits Fetter, assistant pitches coaches Robin Lund and Juan Nieves, A.J. Hinch and "everybody up and down the organization who is banding together to create an environment in which these pitchers can get better."
The Tigers are sharp in pitch design and shrewd in game-planning, with one of the best defensive catchers in the game in Jake Rogers. Nieves brings the wisdom of having coached in MLB organizations for more than 30 years. Lund is a former Kinesiology professor who has helped the Tigers become fluent in biomechanics. Fetter is a pro at communicating complex concepts in simple terms.
"It also helps that we have a ballpark that creates more favorable outcomes for pitchers, and elite outfield defense," Harris said. "We're trying to build an environment that caters to pitchers and allows us to make sure that we have a competitive advantage on the mound with whoever we're playing."
Sasaki is an advantage unto himself. With a fastball that touches triple digits and one of the best splitters on the planet, he could team up with Tarik Skubal and eventually Jackson Jobe to give the Tigers a terrifying trio at the top of the rotation. He had a 2.02 ERA and 524 strikeouts in 414 2/3 innings over four seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball. He helped Japan win the World Baseball Classic in 2023.
Still, the jump to the majors is a big one. Sasaki might be drawn to a pitching department who can make that transition as smooth as possible.
Sasaki's 45-day window to negotiate with teams opened Tuesday. He and his agent are expected to start lining up meetings next week. The Tigers will "submit our case," said Harris, and see where it goes from there. They have a chance in the race for Sasaki, because everyone does. They might have an inside lane because of their advances on the mound.
"It's a results-oriented business and I think the results speak for themselves, and that cracks the door open a little bit wider," said Harris. "But, when we get a pitcher's attention, we have to bring content and substance and compelling plans for them to get better, and so far I think our group has worked really hard together to do that."
