The San Diego Padres are determined to fight toe to toe with the powerful Los Angeles Dodgers for Roki Sasaki’s signature. The Japanese ace has narrowed down his choices to three teams: the two mentioned NL West powerhouses and the Toronto Blue Jays.
While many fans and members of the media have long assumed that Sasaki will end up in Los Angeles, the Padres have put together a team effort to lure him away from the Dodgers. They held a recent meeting in San Diego, which took place just a couple of days ago, and there have been massive recruiting efforts from manager Mike Shildt and stars such as Manny Machado and Sasaki’s close friend Yu Darvish.
Padres optimistic they will land Roki Sasaki
According to MLB insider Bob Nightengale, the Padres are “cautiously optimistic he’s coming their way,” referring to the Japanese phenom.
Sasaki would slot in nicely in the Padres rotation, helping fill the void that the injured Joe Musgrove is leaving. He represents both the dream of competing at the highest level in 2025 and the hope that having a top-notch starter on a rookie contract represents.
Getting Sasaki would be like hitting the jackpot for the Padres
Sasaki is just 23 years old and has already tasted individual and collective success. The owner of a career 2.10 ERA with the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan’s NPB, he also took home the 2023 World Baseball Classic with his native country.
Signing with the Padres would allow the pitcher to keep and absorb a larger share of the Asian market and attention: if he goes to LA, he will have to share the spotlight with Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and others.
Sasaki is expected to announce his decision to the world before January 23, when his posting window ends. Will the Padres hit the jackpot and sign him?
