In a surprise development, the Chiba Lotte Marines announced early Saturday morning (US time) that they will be posting 23-year-old righty Roki Sasaki. Because he is still so young and has not accrued enough experience in NPB, Sasaki is unable to sign a big-league deal and is limited to the rules governing amateur free agents. So we’re talking about a dude who throws 100 mph with a nasty splitter and slider and who can only earn as much as teams have available in their international bonus pools.
“I am very grateful to the team for officially allowing me to post,” Sasaki said in a statement.