Baseball
Iolani alum Shane Sasaki signs with Rays


Two-time All-Hawaii outfielder Shane Sasaki signed Tuesday with the Tampa Bay Rays.

It was first reported by MLB.com's Jim Callis that Sasaki signed for $475, 000.  The third-round draft pick, the 99th player taken overall, was slotted at $587,400. The deal, which went through his agent, was an agreed upon figure before he was actually drafted, the recent Iolani graduate said. This is a normal practice in the draft. 

The signing deadline is Friday. A freak mishap delayed Sasaki's signing about three weeks because he was recovering from a collapsed lung that sent him to the hospital. He said it happened when he was hiking a day before he was to leave for Florida originally on June 10.  

"I was just walking," Sasaki said in a phone interview from Port Charlotte, Florida, site of the Rays' Gulf Coast League affiliate for rookies. "I think it was just the change of altitude."

Sasaki said he can perform normal functions of a baseball player, except for heavy weight lifting for now. 

Sasaki, a center fielder, led the state with a .565 batting average in Division I. He scored 26 runs, drove in 26. He had five doubles, three triples and five home runs with eight stolen bases for the Raiders.

The GCL opened June 24 and ends Aug. 31. Sasaki is in the same league, but different division from Iolani classmate Micah Yonamine, who is with the Philadelphia Phillies' affiliate. They are not scheduled to play each other.

Signing bonuses for the rest of Hawaii-drafted players, according to Baseball America's database.

Dylan Thomas, University of Hawaii, $100,000

Edgar Barclay, Cal State Bakersfield via St. Joseph, $125,000

Codie Paiva, Loyola Marymount via Kamehameha, $2,500

Micah Yonamine, Iolani, $280,000

Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa, Pierce JC via Baldwin, $125,000



Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at [email protected].




Show your support

Every contribution, no matter the size, will help ScoringLive continue its mission to provide the best and most comprehensive coverage of high school sports in the state of Hawaii and beyond.

Please consider making a contribution today.

ADVERTISEMENT


MORE STORIES

MIL no ka oi - Baldwin, Maui declared Division I co-champs

Game called in the third inning as rain causes safety issue; both teams go home champions in first ever...

Kamehameha-Hawaii topples Damien to claim first state title since 2016

The Warriors blasted eight hits for a nine-run first inning to run-rule the Monarchs to win their first...

Maui shuts out Saint Louis to reach Division I finale for first time since 2017

Nicholas Nashiwa's two-out, RBI single to left, the Sabers' only one of the game, proved to be the difference...

Bears squeeze by Warriors to set up all-MIL final with Maui

Kaden Anderson pitched five innings and made an incredible running catch to deep right-center field to...

No. 1 Mililani claims fourth D1 state crown, first since 2014, with rout of No. 2 Kamehameha

Sunni Kahanu belted a pair of home runs and drove in five runs and Hinano Bautista fired a four-hitter...

No. 10 Kapaa dominates PAC-5 to end perfect season with D2 state title

The Warriors hammered out 12 hits in their 12-run rout of the Wolfpack to win their first Division II...