Mets Roki Sasaki whiff might’ve gifted them the next Rafael Devers instead

David Stearns and the New York Mets finally took an L this offseason, as they were among the finalists cut from contention in the Roki Sasaki sweepstakes earlier this week. Falling short with Sasaki certainly hurts: He represented a rare opportunity, a frontline pitcher not yet in his prime available for a fraction of what he'd command were he allowed to enter the market as a professional free agent, and the Mets would've loved to place him atop a rotation that is long on options but short on known quantities right now.

But if there's one thing that Stearns has shown during his time running the Mets so far, it's that he knows how to pivot. And while he undoubtedly would've preferred welcoming Sasaki to Queens, fans should be feeling just fine about what became of all that international bonus money.

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Mets take full advantage of money freed up by Roki Sasaki whiff

There is a (admittedly small) silver lining to missing out on Sasaki. The righty will inevitably ask for the maximum signing bonus allowed, meaning that whichever team lands him won't be able to fit anyone else into the current international amateur free agent signing window. To be clear, 30 out of 30 teams would take that exchange in a heartbeat; Sasaki is the 99th-percentile outcome for any player signed this month. But it's still true that, with Sasaki headed elsewhere, the Mets and other teams are now free to spend their money elsewhere.

And boy, did the Mets ever spend their money. New York's 2025 international class was headlined by Dominican infielder Elian Pena, whom the team signed for a $5 million bonus — the highest in the class for a non-Sasaki player.

At just 17 years old, Pena has a long way to go before he's ready for Major League stardom. But one look at his scouting report shows just why the Mets were willing to shell out that kind of cash to secure his services. According to MLB Pipeline's Jesse Borek and Bill Ladson:

"Equipped with oodles of bat speed from the left side, Peña complements his propensity to hit the ball hard with some of the most advanced plate discipline seen on the international scene in years. It’s rare for a prospect so young to have such a keen eye for the zone, but Peña routinely puts it on display while spraying the ball to all fields when he does cut loose."

That's a pretty glowing report, one that makes the Rafael Devers comparison above feel a little less hyperbolic. Again, the Mets would surely have sacrificed Pena for the chance to sign Sasaki. But don't expect Stearns' overhaul of New York's organization to slow down any time soon.