Padres Rumors: International free agent target having second thoughts about MLB

In recent years, there has been more attention on the players coming over from Japan than usual, especially from west coast teams like the San Diego Padres. Ever since Shohei Ohtani's arrival in MLB, Japan's baseball scene has boomed and the talent developed within the NPB ranks has dominated the headlines as they have made the move overseas. One only needs to look at the sweepstakes for Yoshinobu Yamamoto as well as the impact that Shota Imanaga's signing with the Cubs just last offseason as evidence.

While the Padres sat out Yamamoto's market last offseason for the most part, there have been at least some signs that the next big name to come over from Japan could be on the Padres radar in Roki Sasaki. Sasaki is an unbelievably talented pitcher who many consider to be on par with (or better than) Yamamoto. Given that Yamamoto got $325 million in free agency, that is a very lofty claim to make, so his arrival in MLB has been anticipated for a while now.

The Padres are basically a mortal lock to at least make a pass at Sasaki when he is posted by his Japanese club, but they may have to wait as the current rumor is that Sasaki may not be ready this offseason after all.

Padres' IFA target Roki Sasaki may stay in Japan for at least one more season

While many expected Sasaki to get permission from his club to be posted this coming offseason due to the substantial payday that awaited him (and his team) if he was, there are some mitigating factors that have popped up. His surface numbers in Japan has been good, but his walk rate has jumped and he has battled some issues with his arm. Waiting a year could allow him to rebuild some value and still get a hefty contract, although that comes with the risk that Sasaki gets hurt in the meantime.

For the Padres, the timing of the news is bittersweet. While adding a talent like Sasaki on a long-term deal would be a massive boost to their long-term prospects, not having to commit to such a huge contract could make a reunion with Blake Snell next offseason even more likely.

All of this does feel a bit dependent on how 2024 ends up for the Padres. A deep playoff run would likely mean San Diego would have some more cash to play with going forward, especially if they could parlay that into a decent TV deal. For the moment, it appears as though the Pads have a little bit more time to figure things out.

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