Padres insider has drastic Roki Sasaki take for San Diego in free agency

Everyone has Roki Sasaki fever. The young right-handed pitcher appears to be the next great player to hail from Japan, and people cannot stop talking about what team will ultimately sign him. The San Diego Padres are very much in the mix for signing the 23-year-old phenom, who is already drawing comparisons to Stephen Strasburg and Yu Darvish.

The Sasaki sweepstakes may just be the main headliner amidst this chaotic and exciting offseason, which is sending everyone into a frenzy. Just how good will Sasaki be when he comes over to Major League Baseball? Will his impact be immediate? Some even think he could be a big enough difference maker to put a contender over the top.

One Padres insider is calling Sasaki's potential signing the key in San Diego's bid to winning a World Series. While that could be the case, this rhetoric is the type of pressure that young players do not need, especially international prospects. Coming over to a new country is difficult enough, but to be the immediate savior of a franchise loaded with superstars is an unfair expectation to place on anyone.

Padres Rumors: What are San Diego's Roki Sasaki odds in free agency?

Yes, Sasaki is great. His stuff on the mound is jaw-dropping, and he does have professional experience. But if he is the the guy to take the Padres to the promised land in his rookie campaign, then maybe the rest of the roster isn't as good as we think.

As it stands, San Diego has a solid starting rotation for 2025, highlighted by Dylan Cease, Michael King and Yu Darvish. That's a tremendous starting point, and if Sasaki can contribute even half of what is expected from him, then that should be enough. However, the Padres may need to do some more legwork before even being considered as the favorite to land Sasaki, which will not happen until the new year.

The conversation surrounding Sasaki will carry on for the next couple of months, supplying more and more rumors until he actually inks a deal with a team. While fans and media should completely buy into the hype of his talent, it is fair to pump the brakes on him being a team's savior before ever stepping foot on a mound in this league. It's a team sport after all, but placing that pressure specifically on a youngster hardly ever results in positive outcomes.