Roki Sasaki's agent sure made it seem like the Padres are the team to beat

The most sought-after free agent in the aftermath of Juan Soto's historic New York Mets contract is 23-year-old fireballer Roki Sasaki. The Japanese ace arrives on U.S. soil hailed as the best pitching prospect of a generation. He also comes at a bargain price, restricted to around $7 million in annual salary due to his age and lack of experience.

As such, just about all 30 teams will mount a pursuit of Sasaki. How many suitors are serious? Or, more accurately, how many suitors will Sasaki take seriously? That is less clear. He is expected to prioritize your standard free agent wishlist — stability, winning, player development. But, since he can't be swayed by money, Sasaki is bound to give special consideration to the clubhouse he is joining and the front offices in charge.

The Los Angeles Dodgers were pegged as runaway favorites early in the process, but that has since dampened. He could very well end up on the Dodgers, but there are reasons for Sasaki to look elsewhere. He could, for example, miss out on endorsement opportunities and non-baseball income if he's playing in the shadow of Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

Also of note is market size. With money pretty much irrelevant, Sasaki might prefer a smaller market — and a "soft" landing — according to his agent, Joel Wolfe.

"I mean, I think there’s an argument to be made that a small- or mid-market team might be more beneficial for him, as a soft landing, coming from Japan and what he’s been through and not having an enjoyable experience with the media," he said. "It might be."

Enter the San Diego Padres, who have an ace up their sleeve — almost literally.

For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work onThe Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop between now and the MLB offseason.

San Diego Padres quietly emerging as Roki Sasaki frontrunners in MLB free agency

Sasaki appears open to engaging with teams on the east coast, but there's a reason Ohtani and Yamamoto gravitated to LA. Not because it's the top media market, but because it's close to their native Japan. Even if he's not keen on the Dodgers, Sasaki can stay relatively close to home in San Diego.

The Padres present Sasaki with what is potentially the perfect blend of competitiveness and isolation. San Diego just isn't a huge sports market. He would become an instant fan favorite, but operate mostly outside of the national spotlight. That should limit the external pressure Sasaki faces out of the gate.

It helps that Sasaki would be well-insulated by Dylan Cease, Michael King, and Yu Darvish, one of the best pitching trios in the National League. Darvish in particular stands out. He is a longtime mentor for Sasaki — a relationship that could sway the 23-year-old's thinking when it comes time for a decision.

Joel Wolfe added fuel to that fire, detailing the extent of Sasaki's appreciation for Darvish and other Japanese stars from MLB history.

'The other thing is, it’s always been [Sasaki's] dream to come to the major leagues, since he was in school," Wolfe said. "He’s grown up idolizing players like Yu Darvish, Masahiro Tanaka, Daisuke Matsuzaka. This is something he’s always wanted to do, and when he went to [the World Baseball Classic] and was around some of these major league players, it really rubbed off on him. He became sure that ’this is what I want to do as soon as possible."

Sasaki has been angling for an MLB career for ages. That is why he's passing up the chance to earn a Yamamoto-esque payday a few years down the road and instead committing right now. He has dealt with elbow injuries in the past, but Sasaki is a tremendous talent. The Padres, located on the west coast with Sasaki's longtime friend in tow, are perhaps the most logical landing spot. San Diego's recent success is a bonus. By the end of last season, San Diego felt like the most serious threat to LAs crown. Sasaki might be able to push the Padres over the top one of these days.