MLB Rumors: Padres Roki Sasaki offer, Tanner Scott pivot, Pirates won't sell

With Roki Sasaki and Tanner Scott off the board, the next week will be filled with rumors, signings, and potential trades as the MLB offseason enters its final month. There's much to discuss, including the Padres' lucrative offer to Sasaki, the Cubs' next fallback option after missing on Scott, and news regarding the future of the Pirates' ownership. Let's dive right in, starting with what could have been with Sasaki.

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Padres were set to pay Sasaki

The San Diego Padres were dead set on landing Sasaki, who ultimately signed with the Dodgers over the weekend. The Friars were in a position to offer everything they could to add to their bonus pool via trade, which would have brought Sasaki's deal to just over $10 million.

It was long speculated that the Padres were going to be one of the top destinations for the phenom, but leaving $3.5 million on the table and accepting the signing bonus of $6.5 million from the Dodgers shows he was willing to leave a huge chunk of money on the table to be where he wants.

Say what you will, but ultimately, that $3.5 million will become a drop in the bucket for what he will make in L.A.'s flourishing market throughout what figures to be an illustrious career. It is unlikely Sasaki will wind up regretting that decision.

Cubs honing in on relief market

After narrowly missing on Tanner Scott, Cubs fans can find a silver lining in the fact that the team is at least willing to go to that level to upgrade their bullpen. That's why it should come as no surprise that the team is now after the rest of the top arms in the relief market, with Carlos Estevez their new top priority.

Missing on Scott stings, but it comes with the serenity of knowing that the Cubs will add a high-quality arm to the backend of their bullpen this winter. It may only be days until the team has a new closer, a position that has haunted the Cubs the last two seasons. Although it won't be the best reliever available, several players, such as Estevez, could help further take this team toward winning its first NL Central division championship since 2020.

Estevez, however, comes with red flags, including a well-above-average .229 BABIP in 2024 that could quickly regress closer to a league-average .300 next season. His 2.45 ERA last year was sparkly but overshadows his xFIP, which rose to an alarming 4.66 in the second half. The Cubs have one of the best defenses in the league, so it will be interesting to see how much Jed Hoyer thinks his positional group can help mitigate any regression if Estevez is who the team signs.

Pirates fans will have to endure more

The Pittsburgh Pirates have underperformed for years, and fans call for the owner to sell the team. With a loyal fan base, fans have every right to be angry, but it seems that change is not on the horizon. Pirates CEO Travis Williams states that owner Bob Nutting cares about winning and putting a winning product on the field, which they work towards daily. That argument can easily be dismantled, as the Pirates haven't been above .500 in nearly a decade.

Being in Pittsburgh, the Pirates don't have to operate like a small market team. The market is robust enough in Pennsylvania to pack houses with an actual winning product at PNC Park. One thing that hurts the sport of baseball isn't so much a team like the Dodgers stacking a super-team, but more so when team owners are unwilling to spend to create competitive balance in the league. It looks to be more of the same for Pirates fans in the near future.