Throughout the offseason the CBS Sports MLB experts will bring you a weekly Batting Around roundtable breaking down pretty much anything. The latest news, a historical question, thoughts about the future of baseball, all sorts of stuff. Last week we discussed Alex Bregman’s future. This week we’re going to talk teams that need Roki Sasaki.
Which of the three finalists most needs to sign Roki Sasaki?
R.J. Anderson: The Padres. While every team could benefit from signing a potential impact player on a submarket deal, I think San Diego might need it the most of all rumored suitors. They seem to be dealing with financial restrictions limiting who/what they’re able to add to the roster this winter, making it tougher for them to hang with some of their National League West foes. Sasaki would be a boost to a rotation that could use it — remember, Joe Musgrove will miss the season following Tommy John surgery — and they’d be keeping him away from the Dodgers in the process. That’s a win-win if you’re the Padres.
Dayn Perry: I have to say the Blue Jays. While I think in a vacuum they need lineup help more than they need rotation help, this organization and its fans badly need a splash addition like this. They’ve come up short on so many of their recent free-agent pursuits that they’re now desperate to land such a big fish. That’s to say nothing of the fact that Sasaki would helm their rotation for years to come. In part, though, it’s just the Jays are desperate for an off-the-field win.
Matt Snyder: I’m also gonna go with the Padres here. It’s frustrating from the outside to see them spend money at the levels they did a few years ago only to see them dialing it back now after the death of Peter Seidler. Operating in the reality of the current situation, though, getting a low-cost pitcher the caliber of Sasaki would be monstrous for the organization as they face the season without Musgrove and are also rumored to be looking to shed Dylan Cease’s salary via trade. Pair that with the fact that this team has been close to getting over the proverbial hump in the playoffs a few times recently and still has enough pieces to make a deep postseason run and it’s an easy answer for me.
Mike Axisa: Well, we’re all in agreement that it’s not the Dodgers. I went into this more in-depth earlier this week and landed on the Padres as the team that most needs Sasaki, and nothing that happened the last few days has changed my mind. It’s not just that San Diego needs an impact starting pitcher both now and moving forward, they need a cheap impact starting pitcher given their long-term commitments (Xander Bogaerts, Manny Machado, etc.) and the fact ownership has reduced payroll since Peter Seidler’s death. Also, keeping him away from the Dodgers is a win too. That’s not an insignificant consideration here. The Blue Jays badly need a free agent win to energize their fan base, but, on the field, the Padres need Sasaki more than any team.
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