The Padres’ Ownership Turmoil Could Have Led to Them Missing Out on Roki Sasaki
Roki Sasaki, the highly sought-after free agent pitcher, was a major focus of this offseason’s MLB discussions. Two-thirds of the league pitched their offers to Sasaki and his agent, with Sasaki meeting with eight teams and narrowing his choices down to three: the Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays, and San Diego Padres. The Padres were so confident they could land Sasaki that they went so far as to acquire additional international bonus pool money.
However, shortly after, Sasaki announced on Instagram that he’d chosen the Dodgers, with an official news conference following a few days later. So, what caused the Padres to lose out?
According to a new report, it seems the ongoing ownership drama within the Padres organization may have influenced Sasaki’s decision. The uncertainty surrounding the team’s leadership likely led Sasaki and his agent to opt for stability instead.
For context, Sheel Siedler, the widow of late Padres owner Peter Seidler, filed a lawsuit against two of Seidler’s brothers over control of the team. This lawsuit came to light right in the middle of the Sasaki negotiations, and the turmoil it caused may have contributed to the Padres’ loss in the recruitment process.
Matt Seidler, one of the subjects of the lawsuit, recently submitted a filing addressing the claims and the negative impact it had. The filing noted that during critical negotiations with a star pitcher, Sheel’s lawsuit suggested that Matt and his brothers were considering relocating the team, which was seen as damaging to the Padres’ efforts.
Matt’s filing pointed out the disruption at a crucial time in the Sasaki talks, and agent Joel Wolfe confirmed that the timing was problematic for Sasaki’s camp. Wolfe admitted that they were aware of the issues and chose to let the Padres handle the situation themselves.
While it’s hard to say exactly how much the ownership conflict influenced Sasaki’s decision, it seems clear that the instability played a role, especially since Sasaki cited the Dodgers’ “stability” as a key factor. Though it’s possible Sasaki would have chosen LA regardless, for Padres fans and management, it’s now a matter of wondering what might have been.
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