Before the Los Angeles Dodgers finalized a four-year, $72 million deal with former San Diego Padres reliever Tanner Scott, they had been considering signing ano

Sasaki named them one of his three finalists, joined by the Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays. If nothing else, such recognition plants a larger Padres flag in Japan, where Sasaki commands national attention. Coming Japanese stars won’t say “who?” when Padres team-builder A.J. Preller and scouts come calling.

The Los Angeles Dodgers formally introduced Roki Sasaki as the newest member of their team Wednesday afternoon at Dodger Stadium. The moment was cringeworthy fo

The Padres, with Japanese star Yu Darvish on the roster, felt they had a legitimate shot at Sasaki, and they had more money to play with, almost $6.26 million, than L.A. But the Dodgers, who eliminated the Padres on their way to the World Series last season, prevailed again.

Japanese sensation Roki Sasaki chose to sign with the Dodgers, an announcement he made on Instagram. That leaves the Padres to face an uncertain path in the months leading up to the 2025 season and to face the reality of their closest and most irksome rival going forward with yet another star player.

With ownership turmoil and no offseason additions, the Padres must figure out how to contend without the Japanese phenom they coveted.

Roki Sasaki will sign with either the Dodgers, Padres, or Blue Jays. Here's how their pitching staffs would look with the Japanese sensation in the fold.

Right from the start, the San Diego Padres were all in for the Japanese young sensation, Roki Sasaki. The post Roki Sasaki’s Veiled Attack on Padres Turns Dodgers Star Into San Diego’s Biggest Public Enemy appeared first on EssentiallySports.