Roki Sasaki's Agent Addresses The Impact Padres Lawsuit Had on Pitcher's Decision

What Jurickson Profar hinted at and Roki Sasaki insinuated are proving to be more concrete reasons as to why free agents aren't signing with the San Diego Padres.

The rumors of what was potentially driving away Padres free agency targets is once again brought to light after losing Ha-Seong Kim to the Tampa Bay Rays Wednesday morning. He is just another name added to a list of potential reinforcements for the 2025 roster that fell through.

Kim, along with Profar, Tanner Scott, and Kyle Higashioka, played for the Padres last season and became free agents this offseason.

Profar mentioned the ownership dispute among his first few hours as a member for the Atlanta Braves.

“Obviously the Padres have some issue with the ownership and all that,” Profar said in a video call with the Atlanta media. “It was difficult to go back (to San Diego), but [Braves general manager] Alex [Anthopoulous] showed a lot, a lot of interest in me and I loved that."

As for Scott, he made comments about how thrilled he was to join the Dodgers. This didn't implicitly name the ownership situation, but he also revealed L.A. was the first team to call him when free agency opened.

“I was really happy that (the Dodgers) made an offer. … I know we’re ready to win another (championship). I’ll be a part of this one.”

Sasaki's agent Joel Wolfe recently made a statement knowing that the dispute was an issue and revealed what he thought was 'strategic' timing for lawsuit.

“We knew it was an issue,” Sasaki’s agent, Joel Wolfe, said Tuesday. “The timing of it appeared oddly strategic, and I wanted to allow the Padres to deal with it first on their own terms rather than try to figure it out on our own, which they did.”

Sheel Seidler, the widow of late Padres owner Peter Seidler, released a complaint filed on Jan. 6 which was in the midst of the Sasaki negotiations.

Another filing made Monday by current Padres trustee Matt Seidler accuses Sheel Seidler of a public smear campaign against her brothers-in-law among other family members. The newest filing mentions a potential play against Sasaki.

“During a crucial time when Padres management was in late negotiation stages with a star pitcher, Sheel’s lawsuit recklessly suggested that Matt and his brothers were plotting to relocate the Padres elsewhere,” the filing read.

While it was not explicitly stated that Sasaki didn't choose the Padres because of the ownership lawsuit, it's clear it didn't help.

The fact that Sasaki said the No. 1 thing that stood out to him was the "stability" in the Dodgers front office isn't exactly reassuring for Padres fans, either.

More news: Padres Lose Ha-Seong Kim to AL Contender as Brutal Offseason Continues