A.J. Preller’s pursuit of Roki Sasaki, the standout prize of this offseason, may have unofficially started in the middle of the summer. On June 6, Padres pitche

Roki Sasaki, the Chiba Lotte Marines pitcher who turned heads during the World Baseball Classic in 2023 with his unreal abilities with his native Japan, will be posted, per the Marines. That means a team will pay the Japanese franchise money for the right to sign Sasaki — like the Dodgers did with Yoshinobu Yamamoto — and also pay Sasaki.

Sasaki’s club announced he would be posted and the Rangers are among the top contenders to sign the Japanese pitching phenom.