MLB Rumors: Padres in 'Strong Position' to Land Roki Sasaki in 2024 Free Agency

The San Diego Padres are in "strong position" to land Chiba Lotte Marines starting pitcher Roki Sasaki, per reporter Francys Romero.

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred previously told reporters that the 23-year-old Japanese star pitcher was expected to be part of the 2025 international signing class.

With that, Sasaki wouldn't sign with an MLB team before January 15, which is when MLB's international signing period starts.

Sasaki went 30-15 with a 2.02 ERA (0.88 WHIP) and 524 strikeouts over 414.2 innings (69 games) in Japan's top professional league. He also authored one of the top pitching performances in professional baseball history, striking out 19 batters in a perfect game against the Orix Buffaloes in April 2022.

He's ranked highly on any MLB free agent list one can find, including those from Mark Feinsand of MLB.com (third), Rowan Kavner of Fox Sports (third) and Jordan Shusterman and Jake Mintz of Yahoo Sports (second).

As for his destination, Jon Heyman of the New York Post previously reported that "insiders are assuming" that the Los Angeles Dodgers were the "heavy favorite."

The Dodgers have deep pockets, but that's not going to be a factor here. AJ Cassavell of MLB.com explained why while also noting that the Padres were rumored to be favorites to land him.

"Sasaki is a 23-year-old fireballer with a wipeout splitter and an excellent slider. He has ace potential, and whichever team signs him will do so at a minimal cost, all things considered. International bonus pools are capped, and Sasaki would be earning a rookie salary. The Padres are rumored to be among the favorites for the Japanese right-hander."

David Schoenfield of ESPN.com previously predicted Sasaki to land in San Diego.

"The Padres would be a great fit -- and perhaps none of the likeliest suitors need Sasaki quite as much as the Padres. Their payroll is already close to maxed out, and that's without re-signing Jurickson Profar or Ha-Seong Kim -- two players they could use. Plus, Joe Musgrove will sit out 2025 after elbow surgery, so there is a need for a starter to challenge the Dodgers' supremacy in the NL West."

Obviously, San Diego would like to have Sasaki for a few reasons. For starters, he's a potential ace who can anchor the rotation for years. But the Padres' gain could also be the Dodgers' loss. San Diego certainly wouldn't like Sasaki heading to a division rival, let alone one positioned to compete for the World Series for years to come.

So signing Sasaki would be a huge win for San Diego. The Padres undoubtedly have competition for his services, but the latest report is a good sign that he'll land in town.