Whoever wins the sweepstakes for Japanese sensation Roki Sasaki will inherit a future ace for their rotation. A recent report reveals that the San Diego Padres could beat out the field in their pursuit of Sasaki due to the environment they could entice him with.
Padres have the framework to lure Roki Sasaki to San Diego in free agency
Maren Angus-Coombs of San Diego Padres on SI relayed a report from Will Sammon of The Athletic (via The New York Times) which revealed what the 23-year-old is seeking out of his first MLB franchise:
“According to league sources speaking to Will Sammon of The Athletic, Sasaki’s main priorities in choosing a team will be stability, lifestyle, comfort, and a strong track record of player development,” Angus-Coombs shared.
Padres have a desirable big city that could appease Sasaki
The Padres check those boxes. San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and the second-largest in California. Players are drawn to the West Coast because of its favorable weather and scenic ambiance. From a lifestyle and comfort perspective, San Diego’s environment would be hard-pressed to beat in the big leagues.
Padres have a great farming system & status as World Series contenders
As for player development, a USA Today article from July ranked San Diego as the No. 7 best farming system in the league based on an aggregate from their publication, as well as FanGraphs and Bleacher Report.
When assessing their stability, the Padres have been contenders since 2020. They’ve made the playoffs three times in that five-year span stretching to the present day. That includes two trips to the National League Division Series in 2020 and 2024, with a National League Championship Series berth sandwiched in between in 2022. Their roster is stacked with top-shelf talent at the plate and on the mound.
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The Padres’ strong rotation and compatriotic ties could be attractive for Sasaki
Sasaki would join a formidable Padres rotation including ace Dylan Cease, breakout star Michael King, and five-time All-Star Yu Darvish — the latter being his compatriot. Darvish may have major sway in recruiting Sasaki to town, and much like Shohei Ohtani’s presence on the Los Angeles Dodgers helping Yoshinobu Yamamoto ease himself into the MLB, the 38-year-old could be a familiar face to show the incoming rookie Sasaki the ropes in the Majors.
There will be a host of teams that will scratch and claw for the 2023 World Baseball Classic champion. Nevertheless, all of the things that the Padres can and will present to Sasaki in their pitch make them a franchise to take seriously as they seek to lock him down to a contract.
