Alluring Roki Sasaki connection could offer Padres inside track over Dodgers

On Saturday, the baseball world was greeted by news that Roki Sasaki would indeed be posted and sign with a big league squad for the 2025 season. Despite the fact that he is leaving a lot of money on the table by not waiting until he is 25 years old (while accumulating service time along the way), Sasaki instead is looking to follow in Shohei Ohtani's footsteps by signing as an amateur and getting his foot in the door in the majors. That could play right into the San Diego Padres hands.

The Padres have had their eyes on Sasaki for a while now and it is easy to see why. While Sasaki had a bit of a down-year in 2024, his pure stuff is among the absolute best we have seen from Japan The right-hander employs a mid to upper 90's fastball, gyro slider, and nearly un-hittable splitter. Even though he is still a little rough around the edges and may need some refinement, Sasaki absolutely has the talent to be a frontline starter in MLB.

Fortunately, it sure looks like Padres may have a genuine edge over other favorites for Sasaki such as the division rival Los Angeles Dodgers.

Roki Sasaki's relationship with Yu Darvish as well as his early posting could help Padres sign the Japanese phenom

Unlike last offseason with Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Dodgers' (and other big markets) deep wallets aren't going to help them land Sasaki this offseason. Sasaki's first deal is going to be governed by international amateur rules and limits, which means he won't be able to sign for more than a team's international bonus pool. As long as the Padres are willing to heartlessly cancel their existing handshake agreements for 2025, and Sasaki signs after January 15, 2025 (which is exceedingly likely), San Diego will be in the running.

In addition to being a West Coast team that is going to be a legitimate contender for years to come, the Padres have an ace-in-the hole in Yu Darvish. Not only is he still generally beloved over in Japan, but Darvish has forged a strong relationship with Sasaki with many thinking the Padres' starter has been laying the groundwork for San Diego to scoop him up.

Unfortunately, every single team in baseball is likely going to be interested in Sasaki this offseason. While it's nice that Sasaki will be cheap and not compete for big league payroll space, that is going to appeal to teams across the league, especially given the level of talent.

There are going to be a lot of considerations for Sasaki this offseason. Teams will be eagerly looking for opportunities to trade for more 2025 international bonus money to sweeten the pot for him with teams able to add an additional 60% in pool money via trades. Sasaki will also have to think about marketing opportunities with his new team, and that certainly plays into the Dodgers hands. However, if it comes down to winning and the relationships he's already built, the Padres have as good a chance as any team to land Sasaki this offseason.

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