Padres star Manny Machado claims Roki Sasaki ‘had his mind set’ on signing with Dodgers

The San Diego Padres had pushed hard to land Japanese pitching sensation Roki Sasaki, but their efforts did not come to fruition as Sasaki decided to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers. In order to woo Sasaki, Joe Musgrove and Manny Machado hosted Sasaki during his visit to San Diego. While Musgrove was unsure about Sasaki’s mindset, Machado felt that the young pitcher had already made up his mind before the meetings even took place.

Joe Musgrove Shares His Thoughts on Roki Sasaki’s Decision to Join the Dodgers

Padres ace Joe Musgrove was an integral part of the recruitment process, spending two days with Sasaki, which included having dinner together and spending time at the field. Musgrove felt that Sasaki's decision-making process might have been affected by fatigue from his whirlwind recruitment tour.


"The guy was on a world tour for a couple of weeks so probably a little bit worn out and exhausted. Towards the end of that trip, maybe you don't get the freshest, most excited Roki".


Musgrove said it made sense somehow despite him even realizing a particular form of weariness or lethargy with himself, at the same time indicating he won't go through an assessment over how early Sasaki had chosen even before approaching Padres. "I don't know how to feel about that. I'm not in his head. So I'm not gonna say he acted a certain way, but I could see where Manny sees that."

Manny Machado Confident in His Gut Feeling About Sasaki’s Decision

Where Musgrove differs, Manny Machado clearly believed that Sasaki had decided where his future was long before he arrived to discuss with the Padres.


"I think he had his mind set already where he was going," Machado said, adding it purely was a gut feel after interacting with the Japanese pitcher.


Machado and a few other Padres players spent some time with Sasaki during his visit, but the pitcher's demeanor made it seem like he was just playing the game instead of really considering their offer.


While San Diego made an aggressive pitch, they could not sway Sasaki away from the Dodgers. Whether his decision was predetermined or influenced during the recruitment process remains uncertain. However, the Padres will now have to look elsewhere to bolster their pitching staff as Musgrove himself is set to miss the 2025 season due to Tommy John surgery.

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