Padres Received 'Homework Assignment' From Roki Sasaki in Meeting

Maren Angus-Coombs | Jan 3, 2025

Nov 21, 2023; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Padres president of baseball operations and general manager A.J. Preller speaks to the media during a press conference announcing the hiring of manager Mike Shildt (not pictured) at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images / Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images

After Roki Sasaki was posted by the Chiba Lotte Marines on Dec. 9, his agent Joel Wolfe sent a letter to all 30 Major League Baseball clubs asking to send “any type of information that they wanted Roki to review.”

Twenty teams responded and each team the pitcher met with was given a homework assignment, including the San Diego Padres.

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The unspecified assignment is a way for Sasaki to get an idea of “how they can analyze and communicate information with him.”

"Without giving the actual details of what that assignment was," Wolfe said, "every team got that very same assignment, and it enabled them to show how they can analyze and communicate information with him, and really showed where he was coming from in analyzing and creating his selection criteria, in looking at different teams."

While there has been considerable speculation that the bidding for Sasaki may narrow down to the Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers, Wolfe highlighted that Sasaki prioritized "a level playing field" for all teams involved.

To ensure fairness, the initial meetings were capped at two hours each and held at Wasserman's Los Angeles offices. Sasaki also requested that no current players attend the meetings in person, although some contributed through video messages.

"I think that the teams that met with him would tell you he was engaged, he asked questions – and he gave every team something that he called a homework assignment, the team that he was going to meet with," Wolfe said. "And I think it was a great opportunity for the teams to really show what they specialize in. Without giving the actual details of what that assignment was, every team got that very same assignment, and it enabled them to show how they can analyze and communicate information with him and really showed where he was coming from in analyzing and creating his selection criteria in looking at teams."

Sasaki is currently in Japan, according to Wolfe. However, the plan is for Sasaki to return to the United States in January for a second round of meetings with a select group of teams.

The Padres are hoping to be one of them and maybe during that meeting, Yu Darvish can tag along for another round of recruiting pitches.

Sasaki is expected to sign between Jan. 15-23 during the next international signing period.

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