Barely a week after they landed this offseason's biggest free-agent prize by signing Juan Soto to a record 15-year, $765 million contract, the Mets have met with star Japanese right-hander Roki Sasaki, according to SNY's Andy Martino.

Sasaki, 23, is the latest Japanese star pitcher seeking to make the jump to MLB, following Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Dodgers) and Shota Imanaga (Cubs) last year. Sasaki posted a 2.02 ERA and struck out 32 percent of the batters he faced as a member of the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball from 2021-24.

The Mets entered the offseason with three members of their 2024 starting rotation hitting free agency -- Sean Manaea, Luis Severino and Jose Quintana. The club has made some moves to address that area of need, signing Clay Holmes with the intent of converting him into a starter and also adding Frankie Montas and Griffin Canning.

Landing Sasaki to pair with Kodai Senga atop the rotation would create a formidable 1-2 punch for the Mets as they continue to seek their first World Series championship since 1986. They fell just shy of reaching the Fall Classic in a six-game loss to the Dodgers in the 2024 National League Championship Series.

Obviously, there will be stiff competition for Sasaki, who has an in-person meeting scheduled with the Yankees, general manager Brian Cashman told reporters on Wednesday. The Dodgers and Padres have been considered by many as favorites to land Sasaki, but many other teams will be making their pitch in the coming weeks.

You can read more about the latest rumors surrounding Sasaki here.