Roki Sasaki’s Agent Addresses Padres as Fit for Superstar Free Agent

Maren Angus-Coombs | 23 Hours Ago

Mar 21, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Japan designated hitter and closing pitcher Shohei Ohtani (16) and team Japan celebrate with the World Baseball Classic trophy after defeating the USA in the World Baseball Classic at LoanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images / Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

On Monday, the first day of the Major League Baseball Winter Meetings, Roki Sasaki was posted by the Chiba Lotte Marines of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball.

By Tuesday, Sasaki's agent Joel Wolfe felt confident his client would strongly consider a small-to-mid market team including the San Diego Padres.

"I think that there's an argument to be made that a smaller, mid-market team might be more beneficial for him as a soft landing," Wolfe told reporters in Dallas.

Wolfe added, "I would assume that would be a team that he would seriously consider."

Once Sasaki was posted, all 30 MLB clubs now have a 45-day window to begin negotiating with him.

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Padres manager Mike Shildt didn't hide his opinion about San Diego's chances of landing the most intriguing free agent available on the market.

"We should be very legitimate contenders," Shildt said in an interview on MLB Network Radio. "We fully expect to be right in the mix and actually, at the end of the day, have Sasaki a Padre."

Shildt was confident the Padres would secure a generational talent for a bargain, pointing to the strong foundation built by general manager A.J. Preller. He highlighted Preller's efforts to establish the team’s presence in the Pacific Rim as a key factor in this optimism.

"A.J. has done a tremendous job, the organization has done a tremendous job, of making sure that we’re very relevant internationally. Our roster speaks to it," Shildt added. "We’ve got, obviously [Yu] Darvish and Yuki [Matsui] from Japan. Heck, A.J. speaks Japanese. He worked to learn Japanese to recruit [Shohei] Ohtani years ago. We got [former pitcher and Japanese baseball legend [Hideo] Nomo in the organization. So, we’ve got a lot of inroads to get to Sasaki and make that happen. I know we’re going to put the full-court press to make it happen and we’re very optimistic.”

Although he's not expected to make a decision until the 2025 signing period opens on Jan, 15, he can begin meeting with teams starting Tuesday.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are also seen as a top contender to sign him, but judging Wolfe by his comments, it seems that the likelihood of Sasaki playing under the bright lights of Hollywood is dimming.

"We've got a lot of inroads to get to Sasaki," Shildt added. "I know we're gonna put the full-court press to make it happen and we're very optimistic."

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