Joe Musgrove gets real about Manny Machado’s take on Roki Sasaki’s free agency decision

After all the drama surrounding the Roki Sasaki sweepstakes, the NPB phenom has finally found a home with the Los Angeles Dodgers. While much attention was given to the teams vying for Sasaki's signature, it was ultimately the Dodgers who secured him. The Toronto Blue Jays and the San Diego Padres were also in the running.

In a recent interview, Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove shared insights into the dynamics of Sasaki's free agency. He highlighted comments from Padres' de facto captain Manny Machado, suggesting that the Japanese pitcher might have already made up his mind before spending time and practicing with the Padres.

"The guy has been on a world tour the last few weeks. He's probably a bit worn out and exhausted and towards the end of the trip, maybe he's not at the freshest mindset," Musgrove said (4:40).

"I'm not in his head so I'm not going to say that he acted a certain way but I can see where Manny [Machado] sees that he had a little feeling that he was either a bit worn out or he knew where he's going to go already and was just doing the optics of going around and doing his visits."

Musgrove added that he had a few conversations with Roki Sasaki during the Padres' pursuit of the star:

"I got to spend two days with Sasaki during dinner wherein we chatted a bit and the day after at the field. We enjoyed his presence and did our best to make a pitch but clearly it wasn't good enough."

"Stability" made Roki Sasaki choose the Dodgers

During his unveiling as the newest member of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Roki Sasaki revealed that the stability of the front office was a key factor in his decision to join the reigning World Series champions.

Although this reasoning might seem unusual for a prized prospect, fans quickly pointed to the ongoing ownership battle within the San Diego Padres. The dispute involves former owner Peter Seidler's wife, Sheel, and her brothers-in-law. Even Padres All-Star Jurickson Profar, who signed with the Atlanta Braves, cited the instability as one of the reasons for his departure from the Padres.