The absence of significant transactions by the Texas Rangers during the recent offseason has been a source of debate for quite some time. Following a World Series victory, one might have expected the team, known for its assertiveness, to be charging ahead full throttle. However, uncertainties surrounding TV revenue led the team to adopt a notably cautious stance in both free agency and the trade market.

Only time will reveal the consequences of the Rangers’ lack of activity during the offseason. Despite this, they maintain a talented roster and boast a rookie class that is the envy of the league, highlighted by the rapid promotion of Wyatt Langford to the majors.

However, indications suggest that the Rangers are considering making at least one significant move in the upcoming offseason. Recent reports indicate that multiple teams are closely monitoring Japanese pitching sensation Roki Sasaki, anticipating his transition to the majors. Interestingly, the Rangers are among the teams expressing interest in Sasaki.

Sasaki is currently a highly sought-after prospect, owing to the exceptional quality of his pitching repertoire and his young age, being only 22 years old. Indeed, many experts contend that he surpasses Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who recently inked a massive $325 million contract with the Dodgers, in terms of pitching prowess.

However, Sasaki’s path to MLB could be quite different than Yamamoto’s and may end up being closer to Shohei Ohtani’s first deal with the Angels. Unlike Yamamoto, Sasaki won’t have enough playing time in Japan to avoid being subjecting to MLB’s international free agent limits, so any contract he signs will be limited by teams’ international bonus pools. 

For the Rangers, their interest in Sasaki makes all the sense in the world. Even assuming that Sasaki was considered an IFA and signing him would take all of their international bonus pool money (and it probably would), Sasaki would still only cost a few million dollars versus the mega deals being handed out to top-end starters these days. Given the state of the Rangers’ payroll situation and rotation, adding a pitcher of Sasaki’s quality for a pittance has a lot of appeal.