Roki Sasaki was the pitcher everyone was after just a few weeks back. And why not? The 23-year-old is a Japanese phenomenon and was up for grabs for the teams. And in an unthinkable deal, it must have felt like a lottery for most teams. For context, he is being compared to being Yoshinobu Yamamoto-level good. And Yamamoto’s contract was $325 million for the Los Angeles Dodgers. In the end, LA locked in Sasaki for less than a $7 million deal. But really, the Dodgers nearly lost Sasaki to San Diego.

Now San Diego has something or rather someone who, according to most, would have been the reason Sasaki ended up there. And that’s Yu Darvish. Now, Sasaki and Darvish go way back. Roki Sasaki even thinks of Darvish as his ‘godfather,’ and that’s his words. So it’s understandable why many would think he would choose Padres. But ultimately, that’s not what happened. One would think Darvish, with his history with the young star, would be clinging to some bad blood. But no, he even offered a helping hand.

Yu Darvish on Roki Sasaki’s free agency decision 

Yu Darvish isn’t just another player to Sasaki; he is a mentor and a friend to him. But when it came time for Sasaki to decide on the free agency, Darvish knew it was Roki’s decision to make, whatever it may be! Darvish shared recently, “I think we did everything we could. I think we gave him a wonderful welcome as a team. It was his decision, so I don’t think there’s anything we can do about it.” He sure did try everything to make Sasaki feel at home, but Sasaki ultimately chose otherwise.

Still, Darvish’s connection with Roki Sasaki is unwavering, as it was before. He still values his mentee role in Sasaki’s life. And Darvish said, “We’ll see how the season pans out for Roki. He may have some adversity that he needs to overcome. Some hard times, he’ll need to get through. If he reaches out to me in those moments, obviously, I would give the support I can.” That just says a lot about the connection the two have.

As for Roki Sasaki, it’s not surprising that he chose the LA Dodgers, is it? A championship-winning team, and they already have a great hold over the Japanese crowd. Plus, not to forget, Sasaki won’t have the immense pressure hanging over his head to do good from the get-go. The LA Dodgers have a stacked-up roster to ensure he eases into the system. However, things could have worked in San Diego’s favor had it not been for the royal mess-up—the lawsuit.

The Padres’ ownership drama – a royal mess up!

Now Sasaki looked like he was really headed to the San Diego Padres. Just weeks before the signing, he was spotted wearing the jersey, even though it doesn’t mean much. Still! One cannot discount the fact of their connection to Sasaki and Yu Darvish. Plus, not to forget that Roki Sasaki wanted a low-key team, minus the media attention. But ultimately, it might have been the San Diego Padres bitter ownership dispute that ruined the chances of landing him. The drama began when Sheel Seidler, widow of the past Padres owner, filed a lawsuit in the heat of the Sasaki sweepstakes.

Sasaki’s agent, even though he didn’t point to that being the deal breaker, did mention that the timing of the lawsuit seems ‘oddly strategic.’ However, he let the Padres handle the situation internally. Though Sasaki didn’t mention anything, it won’t be tough to guess he chose the LA Dodgers for stability in the front office. Plus, Sasaki’s loss wasn’t the sole setback for the team.

Ha Seong Kim also left for the Tampa Bay Rays, and even Jurickson Profar, Tanner Scott, and Kyle Higashioka. The San Diego Padres are in deep waters, losing key stars, and things are not looking good. But the reality is that this ownership turmoil has been something the franchise has dealt with constantly in the past. So, nothing new!

It remains to see what pans out for them in the future. But one thing is for sure—the Sasaki loss will pinch them for long. Don’t you think?