If Roki Sasaki were to choose the San Diego Padres, it would signal that he is putting his trust in factors other than the franchise’s ownership stability or historical success. The Padres, despite their recent spending sprees and a talented roster featuring Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, and Yu Darvish, have long been plagued by ownership instability. Even more recently, the team has found itself embroiled in a legal dispute over control of the franchise, with Peter Seidler’s widow, Sheel Seidler, seeking to take the reins from his brothers, Matt and Bob, who currently oversee the estate. 

These ownership issues have created uncertainty over the Padres’ future, questioning the team’s financial footing and long-term direction. If Sasaki still opts for San Diego, it would indicate a willingness to overlook these red flags and place faith in something beyond. However, the Padres’ instability isn’t a recent issue. Throughout their 56-year history, the team has faced a revolving door of ownership changes, financial struggles, and off-field controversies that have often undermined its on-field success.  

What does this tell us about Roki Sasaki? 

While San Diego’s aggressive spending strategy has garnered attention in recent years, it’s hard to ignore their history of internal strife and the ongoing legal battles. For a player like Sasaki, looking for a long-term, stable situation to build his career, choosing a team with such a checkered ownership past would certainly seem counterintuitive. Howard Cole on twitter wrote, “If Roki Sasaki were to choose San Diego, he would in effect be saying; “No idea who the owner is, “yeah, I’m good.” Rings? “Uh, don’t care.” But recent history of developing young pitchers? “Pfft!”  

The team has assembled an impressive roster with an eye toward contention, and Machado and Tatis Jr. bring a dynamic energy that could appeal to any young star looking to compete at the highest level. If Sasaki chooses San Diego, it may be because he believes in field talent and the direction the team is heading in, regardless of who’s running the show at the top. His decision could reflect confidence in the Padres’ ability to develop and contend, even in the absence of clear organizational stability. Ultimately, Sasaki’s choice would suggest that his priorities lie elsewhere. 

Other two teams in the mix for the young Japanese player 

If Sasaki looked at the Dodgers, he could understand the appeal easily. It is a team boasting of a robust system of cultivating pitchers and aspiring for steady yearly contention. L.A. offers all a player can wish for – stability, title wins, and a mound to bloom into the best version. It also helps that the Dodgers have previously enjoyed success and rapport while using Japanese players just as they handled Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

In a six-man roster possibly, Sasaki could also retain the pitching sequences. He might be playing for a team that constantly gets into the postseason. The only uncertainty might be Sasaki’s injuries. Given the Dodgers’ somewhat injury-prone rotation, it might dissuade them as an easy opponent.

Then, there’s the Blue Jays — a team that can’t be considered an underdog and is arguably the most interesting contender for an outright win. Though they could not replicate the same level of pitching development as the Dodgers, they’ve managed to turn pitchers as old as Robbie Ray and Yusei Kikuchi into valuable players. The Jays already have Kevin Gausman, José Berríos, and Chris Bassitt; so, Sasaki can be the ace for this team.

The main question here is simple: does Sasaki want to play for a team that is still redefining its competitive identity and live in Toronto? The Blue Jays have a talented squad, but they just finished a disappointing season, so Sasaki might be more interested in the West Coast way of life and the opportunity to play for a team that is always in the running. However, Toronto would have its case ready if Sasaki is seeking a new challenge and the chance to help turn around a quality but underperforming squad.

Guess, we need to wait for a few more days for the final outcome!