MLB sportscaster claims "Dodgers have Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto" to sway Roki Sasaki's decision despite Padres' A.J. Preller's connection

Japanese star Roki Sasaki is one of the most coveted players in the free agent market for starting pitchers this offseason, with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres being regarded as the most likely landing spots for him.

San Diego-based sportscaster Lee Hacksaw Hamilton feels the Padres should make a good destination for Roki Sasaki due to the proven track record of their general manager, A.J. Preller, in working with Japanese players. However, he feels they have a big challenge in preventing Sasaki from joining the Dodgers because of the success they enjoyed with Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto this year.

Lee Hacksaw Hamilton offered his reaction to an article by veteran MLB insider Jon Heyman for the New York Post during his show on Friday. It mentioned that "A.J. Preller had the inside track on Roki Sasaki." [44:20 - 45:35]

"There's a lot of positives in terms of A.J.'s knowledge with culture, knowledge of (Japanese) players, how they should be handled, how they should adjust to playing here," he said. "That's why they think the Padres have the inside track on Sasaki.

"Now that being said, the Dodgers have Ohtani, and the Dodgers have Yamamoto," he continued. "And the Dodgers have the ability to make marketing deals. They are the No. 2 market in the country to be able to do a volume of information on behalf of that player. So, it looks to me that it is between one of those two."

Sasaki has played for the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball since making his debut with the team in 2021.

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"A.J. has dealt with Japanese agents forever": Lee Hacksaw Hamilton on chances of Padres signing Roki Sasaki

Roki Sasaki is nicknamed "the Monster of the Reiwa Era" in his native country (Image Source: Imagn)

Having Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani in the starting rotation for 2025 is considered a major factor that might sway Roki Sasaki to join the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Meanwhile, the San Diego Padres also have a Japanese starting pitcher in their staff in Yu Darvish, along with the vast experience of A.J. Preller in bringing over players from Japan to the MLB.

"He has the inside track because A.J. has dealt with Japanese agents forever, when he was in Texas and, obviously, since he has been in San Diego," Lee Hacksaw Hamilton said.

"A.J. is highly respected because of how he handled and worked with Yu Darvish and the personal problems that Darvish had with his family and letting him leave the team in the heat of the pennant race," he added. "And because of the past history of Padres players, Japanese players. And the people that A.J. has brought in to work in the front office who come from the Pacific Rim."

Yu Darvish, Roki Sasaki, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Shohei Ohtani were all part of the Japan team that won the 2023 World Baseball Classic.