Late Thursday evening the Yankees traded away long-time depth piece Billy McKinney to the Pittsburgh Pirates. In exchange, they received international signing pool money. On the surface, this may not seem like a franchise-altering move. However, with the recent news of yet another Japanese phenom’s desire to enter MLB, it is a no-brainer. Early in the week, Japanese flame thrower Roki Sasaki told his team that he wanted to enter MLB. Friday was the deadline for Japanese players to be posted to MLB, so it is unlikely he will make the move in 2023. But with his expressed desire to enter the league, there’s a high likelihood we will see him soon.
The Yankees announced on Thursday that they have acquired international signing money from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for OF Billy McKinney.
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) December 15, 2023
Yankees Trade McKinney for International Signing Money
Another question that arises for fans is why the Yankees need more international signing pool money. Sasaki’s situation is similar to Shohei Ohtani’s situation when the two-way star entered MLB before the age of 25. Why does this matter? The way the Japanese posting system works is that any player who wants to join MLB before 25 is considered an amateur. Therefore, they will not be posted as a regular major league free agent like Yoshinobu Yamamoto is this offseason. The only way teams can pay Sasaki a contract is through the international signing pool money. Therefore, why are the Yankees trying to stack up on international money before Sasaki could be posted?
How Significant Could This Be?
It’s anyone’s guess when Sasaki could be posted. However, he has a clause in his contract stating that his current team, the Chiba Lotte Marines, must post him if he requests it. That hasn’t happened yet, but in 2024 it seems very likely. Why would the Yankees want to sign Sasaki? Well, he is the Jacob deGrom of Japanese baseball. Both have very similar physical builds, and both regularly throw over 100 mph as starting pitchers. Not to mention he almost set the most absurd pitching record in the history of professional baseball. This is when he almost threw back-to-back perfect games. He never got the chance, however, because his team was concerned about his pitch count and removed him early.
This is who Roki Sasaki is for those who don’t know pic.twitter.com/UdvqjdmyqB
— Jay Torres??-The Boricua Hokage (@JulienT21) December 9, 2023
Sasaki is extremely dominant and baseball fans saw a glimpse of what he can do in the World Baseball Classic, helping to lead Japan to the title. If the Yankees can add him next year and potentially sign Yamamoto now, they will have the best staff in baseball and perhaps a contender for the best of all time. Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki, and Nestor Cortes Jr. would be historic. Sasaki would come at a fraction of the price of those first three hurlers.
This is a no-brainer for the Yankees because it would put them in a prime contending position for years to come. Both their Japanese aces would still be 27 and under, as well as significantly less expensive. If the Billy McKinney trade proves to be part of the reason the Yankees acquired Sasaki, it could be the most underrated move ever made.
Photo Credit: © Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
