Right from the start, the San Diego Padres were all in for the Japanese young sensation, Roki Sasaki. They literally did everything possible just to discover at the end that they never really were in the race. Roki made his first appearance at the Dodgers stadium since signing with the club and took some questions from the media at Chavez Raine. One of his answers hints at an attack on the San Diego Padres.

The Chiba Lotte Marines posted Roki Sasaki in December. With international bonus pool restrictions, he waited for the international signing to start in 2025 and joined the defending World Series Champions, the LA Dodgers. Apparently, the main reason was the Dodgers’ front office stability. With that, an indirect dig at the Padres stung the organization and its fans.

Given that Roki Sasaki throws at triple-digit speed and is a great splitter at just 23, the Dodgers are well-equipped to help him become one of the best pitchers. He has made 505 strikeouts, posted a 2.10 ERA, and had 88 walks in 394⅔ innings when playing for the Marines, and that’s what makes him special. On January 22, Sasaki did a press conference, talking about the Dodgers that “The number one thing that stood out was the stability of the front office.“ Seemingly, this has influenced his decision. But it hurts someone else to hear that!

[Shaikin] Roki Sasaki on the Dodgers: “The number one thing that stood out was the stability of the front office.”
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Fans think that Roki Sasaki’s statement is a dig at the San Diego Padres, who were trying to get him on board. But the Padres might be lagging behind, considering that the Dodgers have been in pursuit of Roki since his high school days. It might not be an overstatement that the Los Angeles Dodgers can essentially get anything they want thanks to their enormous $380 million budget and capable front office. Plus, they are the defending champions with a loaded roster—what more can anyone want from a team?

All of these did not stop the fans from throwing some backlashes. 

Fans have their say on Roki Sasaki’s statement

While Roki Sasaki was influenced by the Dodgers’ front-office stability, the fans have something more to say. Was this a dig at the San Diego Padres, who failed to sign him despite all their efforts? One fan commented, “Am I alone in reading this as directly pointed towards the padres? BOO.” It is clear from his response that Sasaki has exposed the Padres’ front office’s weakness, possibly turning his back on them.

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Another Reddit user wrote, “Is he wrong if it is?” Well, it is no secret that the Padres have tried to cut down their payroll. And they are expected to lose more players. So, fans are left wondering whether Roki Sasaki’s indirect dig is justified. Despite making some signings, they still receive mockery from fans from all over.

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Another quirky fan commented, “I mean, the padres were out before the blue jays. lol If anyone believes this guy, I have some lakefront property in Florida to sell you.“ Well, initially, the Padres were willing to offer Sasaki $10 million; however, they withdrew themselves even before the Blue Jays, making the road easy for the Dodgers.

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Another fan made a funny comment – “Bet the seidlers pay him to say that.” Well, Sheel Seidler, the wife of the Padres’ owner, Peter Sielder, filed a lawsuit against her brothers-in-law. She blamed Matt and Bob Seilder for breaching the fiduciary duties and carrying out fraudulent activities in the absence of Peter. The fan thus takes the road of humor, thinking that she might have paid Roki Sasaki to tell all these.

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For Sasaki, it was never the money, but rather an environment where he could get opportunities to grow as a player and become successful. However, a fan commented, “Nope! They made him number 11 too; that’s Darvish number.” Going by the comment, the fan expresses his disappointment with how the Padres were trying to replace Yu Darvish with Sasaki. But Roki might not have been interested in taking over the All-Star’s responsibilities because he preferred to concentrate on developing in an environment that would eventually enable him to achieve unheard-of success in Major League Baseball.

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Do you think Roki Sasaki really wanted to embarrass the Padres?