If there is a thorn in the side of the Padres free agency agenda, it’s the Los Angeles Dodgers. Having already inked former Padre Blake Snell to a 5-year, $182 million deal, and after signing the off-seasons second hottest international free agent Kim Hye-seong, the hot stove monsters that are the Dodgers do not seem done yet. The Padres however, seem to have an advantage in this off-season’s longest and seemingly most equal free agent race, the pursuit of Roki Sasaki.
MLB insider Jim Bowder of The Athletic has recently given the upperhand in the Sasaki stakes to both the Padres and Yankees, while effectively pushing the Dodgers out of the race. Why exactly the Padres may have the upper hand could be a surprise to some.
A factor that many thought would draw Sasaki to choose the Dodgers over the rest of the league may actually be the reason he chooses to go elsewhere. After signing Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Japanese fandom in the MLB practically runs through the Dodgers, which also brings with it lucrative endorsement deals. With Ohtani becoming a face of New Balance and reports of his endorsement money topping $100 million, and Yamamoto making a fair share himself through his deal with Nike, space for Sasaki to market himself in Los Angeles may be dwindling. Although the possibility of playing with the two may sway Sasaki, his status as an international free agent and limitations towards his future contract size makes any possible endorsement money vital.
After his agent Joel Wolfe has already made it clear that market size is not a determining factor in the decision process, and with the abundance of endorsement space in San Diego, the Padres seem to have a key upper hand over their NL West rivals. Padres players themselves are not ones to shy away from the possibility of making more money; Manny Machado is part of Team Jordan, while Fernando Tatis Jr. has deals with Jack in the Box and formerly with Adidas. If Sasaki were to choose San Diego, his endorsement space in the Japanese market would only be rivaled by Yu Darvish, who does not provide much competition having been under contract with Asics since 2013.
That leaves the Yankees as a potential threat to the Padres. Sasaki has reportedly met with the Yankees in person, as well as with the Padres, Dodgers, Cubs, Mets, Giants, and Rangers. Any ties to the Yankees that could influence his decision would again be endorsement related, heightened by the fact the team currently has no Japanese-born players to compete for fans with. It’s important to note too that his favorite player growing up was Masahiro Tanaka.
The faint connection to the Yankees may give their fans hope, but Padres fans should be cautiously optimistic when looking at the Sasaki situation. The market he wants, and needs, is in San Diego. Darvish has already made it clear that he wants the young star to join him, and the pitching development is touted as one of the best. If there is a team that seems to check every box Sasaki wants, it’s the Padres.
