Signing Japanese star Sasaki would be a “dream” for Posey and Giants.

Signing Japanese star Sasaki would be a “dream” for Posey, Giants originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

DALLAS — The Giants knew the odds were stacked seven years ago when they flew to Los Angeles to meet with Shohei Ohtani and his representatives. They were sure Ohtani would choose the American League since he was from Japan, but he was such an exceptionally talented player that they had to give it a try. While they looked for small glimmers of hope, they focused on their own superstar.

Buster Posey, then the franchise’s flagship catcher, joined clubhouse executives and staff to present Ohtani, and team officials said afterward that they felt the two hit it off. A deal didn’t materialize, but the Giants at least felt good about that part of their effort.

This winter, Posey will once again be involved in the hunt for a Japanese superstar, but this time he will be the one who decides who gets to sit in the room when the Giants receive an invite. The president of baseball operations made it clear Tuesday that the Giants intend to pursue right-hander Roki Sasaki, who was assigned this week.

“Obviously it would be a dream for us, like probably all of the other 29 teams, to get this guy,” Posey said. “It’s just a huge advantage and there aren’t many poor people like him in the world. He is an enormous talent. He is 23 years old. It’s fun to keep dreaming, it’s fun to think of him at Oracle Park and get deep into a game. “The year the place is rocking, we would be over the moon to add a guy like him.

Posey is off to a good start after convincing Willy Adames to make San Francisco his home for the next seven years. But the chase for Sasaki will be much more complicated.

Giants officials have long had their eye on the right-hander, who posted a 2.02 ERA with a 100 mph fastball in four seasons with the Chiba Lotte Marines, and former general manager Pete Putila and current GM Zack Minasian are among those who flew to Japan to see him in person. However, the front office always had a reservation.

The Giants have felt Sasaki’s decision has been made for over a year and believe he will be a Los Angeles Dodger. That’s a source of frustration for the organization, although it has had no impact on the way it handled its pursuit this summer.

Sasaki’s agent, Joel Wolfe, tried to at least keep the door open Tuesday, holding a news conference at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas to insist his client was open to joining all 30 teams. Wolfe is one of the sport’s top agents but doesn’t traditionally speak to large groups of reporters like Scott Boras does each year at the Winter Meetings. Wolfe said Tuesday that any accusations that Sasaki’s destination was predetermined were false.

The press conference could have simply been a way to make it seem like the field was wide open, given the frustration throughout the industry that Sasaki appeared to be on track to join Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Los Angeles, but named Wolfe several reasons why the Giants and others are doing this should have at least a little optimism.

He said Sasaki was open to small and medium-sized teams and suspected that they were even preferable since the pitcher was unhappy with the way the media in Japan treated him when he tried to get out of his contract early and to play in MLB. In San Francisco, the glare would certainly be much less than in Los Angeles, where Ohtani’s presence brings dozens of additional reporters to every game.

Wolfe also said that Sasaki never mentioned a coastal orientation and he wasn’t sure whether having Japanese teammates would be a plus or a minus. Perhaps most importantly, Wolfe said signing bonuses won’t be a deciding factor.

Because Sasaki was hired at age 23, he is subject to international bonus pool restrictions. Ohtani was subject to the same restrictions, initially receiving just $2.3 million from the Los Angeles Angels, and Sasaki estimates he will end up somewhere in the $5 million to $7 million range.

The Giants have about $5.1 million available for their 2025 class, but much of that will go to Dominican shortstop Josuar De Jesus Gonzalez, who is close to signing with the Giants at midfield January qualified. Gonzalez’s contract bonus is unknown, but sources familiar with the matter believe there is enough left to at least make Sasaki an offer.

Wolfe said the gap in the bonus pools for all 30 teams is so small that it will be “negligible” anyway.

“My advice to him is not to make a decision based on that because in the long run you will make money in your career,” he said.

Given that they already had a small pool and a large portion of it has been eliminated, the Giants will be at or near the bottom in terms of what they have to offer. But if Sasaki wants to play for the long haul and make up the difference in endorsements, that will make Posey’s pursuit easier. Of course, Ohtani did quite well in the end.

Posey said there was nothing special from that first Ohtani experience that he would take into this one, noting that he will do what he does with other goals as well.

“I think the best thing I can sell is my authenticity and my take on San Francisco and the Bay Area,” Posey said. “Hopefully it means something to these guys. How much it means, I don’t know. I mean, this is our home… my wife and I grew up in Georgia and this is our home now. I hope this means something for them to know what I think about the area, what I think about the community, what baseball means to San Francisco. “I think it’s also different than other cities that have Major League Baseball teams.” Ultimately, I think the best thing you can do is be honest about how you think about what’s going on lies before them, the possibility of what lies ahead.”

What Sasaki has in front of him is endless possibilities, and he was so eager to realize his dream of pitching in the MLB that he passed up the opportunity to wait a few years and then make money like Yamamoto did last year when he received multiple offers for $300 million.

Yamamoto ultimately chose the Dodgers and the industry believes Sasaki will do the same. If there’s a team that can replace them, it’s probably the San Diego Padres, who can pair Sasaki with Yu Darvish, his childhood idol. Like the Dodgers and Giants, they made it clear this week that Sasaki is a priority.

However, Wolfe did his best to keep the field open. He said some teams have already sent presentations and Sasaki will begin meeting with interested executives next week. The pitcher plans to return to Japan for the holiday season and then return to the United States in January and possibly visit the finalists’ stadiums.

The Giants already know they will have a strong international class in 2025. Gonzalez has long been the best player on their board and MLB Pipeline ranks him as the second-best prospect, behind only Sasaki.

It would be shocking to end up doing both, but on Tuesday Posey seemed like someone who is ready to see if he can pull off the upset.