Ichiro Tried to Help the Seattle Mariners Land Roki Sasaki, But it Wasn't Enough

On Friday, Japanese pitching sensation Roki Sasaki officially announced that he would be signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers this winter. He'll join a star-studded roster, complete with Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Tanner Scott, and Teoscar Hernandez.

That's not surprising, as the Dodgers had long-been rumored to be the favorites for the 23-year-old. What is surprising, at least from the Seattle Mariners perspective, is that they didn't even get a meeting with Sasaki, despite making him a major priority this offseason.

The following comes from The Athletic:

...Neither were the Seattle Mariners, a franchise with a rich history in Japan and a current pitching program that is viewed as best in class. The Mariners had featured Ichiro Suzuki in their introductory material, highlighting Seattle’s welcoming environment for players coming over from Nippon Professional Baseball.

We can't pretend to know what motivates each athlete and what shapes their decision-making process, but it's disappointing that the M's couldn't even get a sit-down with Sasaki. Regardless, it's good to know that they enlisted the help of Ichiro, one of the best players in baseball history, and that he obliged in helping the organization.

The Mariners have had plenty of success in cultivating Japanese talent, from Ichiro to Kazuhiro Sasaki to Kenji Johjima.

Without Sasaki, the M's will continue to roll out an excellent rotation of Luis Castillo, George Kirby, Logan Gilbert, Bryan Woo and Bryce Miller.

The Mariners went 85-77 last season, missing the playoffs by one game.

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