It was bad news when Roki Sasaki announced he was signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but the San Diego Padres brought in their biggest stars to try to persuade him to sign with them instead.
Details of San Diego’s second meeting with the right-hander were revealed in a report from The Athletic.
“The Padres’ welcome party included Darvish and Manny Machado, two veterans who took the lead in welcoming Sasaki. Also in attendance were Joe Musgrove, Jackson Merrill and Ethan Salas, a teenage prospect the Padres touted as their not-so-distant catcher . Sasaki visited Petco Park and threw on the field – sticking to his throwing schedule – while taking advantage of the temperate conditions that appeal to so many players.
On Wednesday, with Sasaki actively considering his options, the start of baseball’s international signing period gave teams one last chance to secure additional bonuses to lure the Japanese star.
More news: Former Padres catcher signs with National League powerhouse
Sasaki’s agent, Joel Wolfe, advised the remaining teams to prepare for various scenarios, including striking deals with other organizations to acquire additional international bonus space if necessary. For some clubs, the chase stretched until Sasaki revealed his decision on Instagram.
“The Padres told Sasaki’s group they were willing to trade to maximize their bonus, according to a league source, and offer the Japanese pitcher the full amount, just over $10 million.” , according to The Athletic. “The Dodgers made a potential deal that was ready to go if Sasaki signed, sending 2023 fourth-round pick Dylan Campbell to the Philadelphia Phillies for bonus space. They would later get more space from the Cincinnati Reds for outfielder Arnaldo Lantigua.”
Sasaki was the Padres’ top priority this winter, and now they’re forced to turn to plan B.
San Diego needs to strengthen its rotation which will be missing Joe Musgrove and currently only has three starters – Dylan Cease, Yu Darvish and Michael King.
The Padres also need to re-sign outfielder Jurickson Profar and solidify their infield. Will Xander Bogaerts be the starting shortstop? Will Luis Arraez play first base? What about Jake Cronenworth?
Despite losing the Sasaki sweepstakes, the Padres are proud of the work they did to draft him.
“Really proud of the group,” Padres president of baseball operations AJ Preller said Friday night about San Diego’s recruitment of Sasaki, via Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. “Really meticulous and complete work.”
“At the end of the day, we want players who want to be here. We’re going to move forward and look to add to a really talented roster. »
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