Agent's recent remarks shatter Padres' perceived advantage in Roki Sasaki sweepstakes

What was supposed to be a two-horse race has now turned into the Kentucky Derby. After Roki Sasaki was officially posted, his agent Joel Wolfe took to the podium this week during the MLB Winter Meetings to discuss the upcoming free agent frenzy that will follow his client for the next month.

But Wolfe's comments won't sit with San Diego Padres fans. The Friar faithful assumed it would come down to the Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers — and it still could. But Wolfe talked about finding a soft landing spot for Sasaki, and there are now a slew of clubs who'll be trying to court the 23-year-old hurler in the coming weeks.

Padres Rumors: Roki Sasaki sweepstakes falling out of SD's favor?

Sasaki is described by his agent as being "somewhat quiet" and "not verbose." Wolfe also spoke about negative experiences with the media that Sasaki endured while pitching in Japan, and those could be a factor in his recruitment.

Sasaki, due in large part to his overall talent and extremely friendly price tag, will be one of the most sought-after free agents this winter. Unlike other Japanese players, Sasaki falls under the governance of the international signing rules, and teams are capped when it comes to spending.

That is one of the best selling points (aside from his talent) and a major reason why San Diego has made it a priority to acquire the right-hander this offseason. Sasaki's supposed timid nature would seem to indicate that Los Angeles and other big-market cities might not be his best option. And though San Diego qualifies as that small to mid-market team, so do about 20 others. The Seattle Mariners, Cincinnati Reds, and Milwaukee Brewers are now all involved in the Sasaki sweepstakes.

Furthermore, according to Dennis Lin of The Athletic, despite the public rhetoric, the Padres do not view themselves as prohibitive favorites for Sasaki. All of this news is very disappointing, but Pads fans shouldn't give up hope just yet. They'll have their chance to swoon Sasaki in the coming weeks, and perhaps he finds that soft landing spot in America's Finest City.

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