San Diego Padres fans are sad right now, and Japanese RHP Roki Sasaki is the perfect Christmas gift for this winter.

It has become painfully apparent that the San Diego Padres do not have money to spend as they once did.

With so many prior commitments via free agency and by simply re-signing players, it was bound to happen. The Padres have around one billion dollars in payroll committed to a handful of players. Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Xander Bogaerts, Yu Darvish, and company are the club’s nucleus and will be here for the long haul.

In order to add talent, the Padres will need to draft well and also continue to make calculated additions of players before their final arbitration years. They will need to be creative. It’s not the end of the world for the Padres, as A.J. Preller has proven that he can adjust on the fly.

In looking at the starting rotation, that is a concern.

Dylan Cease and Michael King anchor the staff in their final season under contract. Both men will likely require a ton of money to secure past the 2025 season. With the inflation in the price of pitching, it is easy to assume each man will make upward of $20-25 million per season at the very least in their next deal. The Padres simply cannot afford both. Maybe. Maybe. They can afford one of them.

Beyond those two pending free agents, the Padres possess Yu Darvish as the number three pitcher. The veteran is capable, but at his age, you really never know what he can produce from here on out. Darvish is under contract through the 2028 season for a total of $67 million.

Joe Musgrove is recovering from Tommy John surgery and will not be available. He may return very late in the season, but the Padres would be wise not to rush the pitcher. Musgrove makes $20 million per season for the next three years.

So, the team has two injured players extended, and their two best pitchers are in the last year of their deals. Not an ideal situation.

There are young men who may potentially contribute this coming season for the Padres, though. Matt Waldron, Randy Vasquez, Jhony Brito, and Adrian Morejon are capable, but each comes with question marks. In the minors, the Padres have a few men who are getting closer, but Victor Lizarraga, Isaiah Lowe, Henry Baez, and others need seasoning. They may take some time to progress to the level of starting in the major leagues.

Thankfully, for Padres fans, there is a Japanese superstar pitcher who is about to sign in the majors. Right-handed pitcher Roki Sasaki will sign in the next 30 days, and the Padres are rumored to be one of the favorites in gaining his services. Sasaki is 23 and owns a career record of 30-15 in Japan with a 2.02 ERA and a 0.883 WHIP. He is a strike thrower who is capable of reaching triple digits with his fastball.

Youa already know who he is and what he is capable of on the mound.

There is no shortage of suitors for the Japanese superstar.

Sasaki is arguably the best raw talent to come from Japan since Shohei Ohtani. The Padres have an advantage as Yu Darvish is Sasaki’s mentor. The two men have a long relationship together as Roki Sasaki developed over the years. The tall, right-handed pitcher is a quiet player who prefers to be anonymous. The city of San Diego could provide that for the young hurler. There are ties to San Diego, and the link is not a thing of imagination.

San Diego Padres fans are a little peeved right now as they are witnessing free agent after free agent sign elsewhere. Kyle Higashioka was allowed to sign in Texas as the Padres would not match his offer from the Rangers. The Padres allowed their starting catcher from 2024 to leave over a matter of a couple of million dollars. Juan Soto was never an option for the Padres, but there are some decent players who did make sense and are now playing elsewhere.

If Roki Sasaki were to be secured, then I get a sneaky feeling the rest of the roster would fill out shortly thereafter. Even if the Padres do not sign him, moves will be made. The Padres have openings in the rotation, left field, and at DH. They need options. Something has to give. His pending free agency will have a lot to do with what the Padres do moving forward.

The Padres are waiting in the weeds in hopes that relevant players fall to them in free agency. There is roughly a month and a half for players to find teams for the 2025 season. As we hit late February and early March, the Padres may bring in some veteran players who are looking for opportunities. It’s not a bad idea, as the remaining players will surely be hungry to produce. Every year, viable players look for work late in the spring. A few bargains is what this roster requires.

As far as Sasaki, Padres fans can hope for a late Christmas present. One that will be official around January 15. Until then, the fans will just need to be patient. Not an easy ask for a fan base that is eager to finally hoist the World Series trophy and get that parade.

James Clark

James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. Editor-In-Chief of EastVillageTimes.com. Always striving to bring you the highest quality in San Diego Sports News. Original content, with original ideas, that’s our motto. Enjoy.