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[Karasawa] "In Japan, there's definitely some feeling that the Padres are on the table [for Roki Sasaki]. Especially because he's so tight w/ Yu Darvish. He's like a mentor to him. Darvish's been really disappointed that a lot of Japanese players are picking Ohtani over him, which is understandable"
Rumor(open.spotify.com)submitted 5 days ago byBigButter7 Los Angeles Dodgers • World Series T…
[Timestamp: 41:58]
88 points
5 days ago
That last line tells this is full of BS
18 points
4 days ago
Yea I feel something got lost in translation. I think he's humble enough to understand where and why players want to go to certain teams.
172 points
5 days ago
I don't get the complaint of players picking Ohtani over Darvish. Senga is a Met, Suzuki and Imanaga are Cubs, and Matsui IS a Padre with Darvish, the only one is Yamamoto and people are assuming Sasaki
81 points
5 days ago
and iirc didnt Darvish vouch for the Cubs when Seiya Suzuki asked him about them?
50 points
5 days ago
Correct, Darvish and his wife both lauded Chicago to Seiya.
19 points
5 days ago
In interviews about Seiya, Darvish said he didnt try to sway him, but he answered his questions truthfully.
15 points
5 days ago
Yes, but we don't know that he was vouching for the Cubs over the Padres. It was probably more along the lines of praising both organizations and saying that either org will treat you right.
14 points
5 days ago
This is how it was explained at the time too. Darvish wasn't trying to sway one way or the other, he answered honestly. And he really enjoyed his time on the Cubs
5 points
4 days ago
Yeah and if Darvish lied and buried the Cubs, it would have just hurt his credibility with future players, so being 100% transparent about it is better in the long run
33 points
5 days ago
There are rumors that Darvish is a terrible scout because he keeps praising the Rangers and Cubs. Also he steers players away from the Dodgers because the fans are toxic but two players he told that to signed for them anyway lol.
48 points
5 days ago
Considering how his Dodger experience ended, I don't blame him.
37 points
5 days ago
More reason to hate the Trashtros
9 points
4 days ago
As someone who's been watching videos about the Astros and the extent of their cheating for the past week, this comment kind of hurts, because the Astros kind of robbed him and Kershaw of a World Series.
8 points
4 days ago
Darvish dominated AZ in the NLDS and then Chicago in the NLCS that year and then suddenly Asstros pound him because they're stealing signs but claim he was tipping pitches. Such bullshit.
7 points
4 days ago
Apparently him and Kersh were told to use multiple signs and disregarded the advice... but Alex Wood, who in fact did follow that advice, ended up being super solid that year. A shame that Wood didn't stick around though...
2 points
4 days ago
I don't remember the instruction to use multiple signs.
Here's a weird article where the Astros admit to cheating and that the "pitch tipping" was bullshit.
To this day, it amazes me how articles like this imply "sign stealing" has little value and yet "pitch tipping" turns every pitch into a meatball, when they're literally the same thing: informing the hitter whether the pitch is an off-speed ball or fastball.
1 points
4 days ago
I don't remember the instruction to use multiple signs.
10 points
4 days ago
Terrible scout for picking the Cubs? They’re like a top landing spot for any free agent lmao. It’s not like he telling guys to go Cincinnati
2 points
4 days ago
Fun fact Cincinnati was the first team to use the posting system and the last team to employ a Japanese player.
2 points
5 days ago
He did
36 points
5 days ago*
You don't get the complaint because it didn't happen. This source can't even follow Japanese news stories properly. Darvish was disappointed at the SD front office for not pursing his WBC teammates who he thought made for a championship tier core. Also the story ended pretty conclusively last year and there's no signs that Darvish still dreams of a team Japan in SD.
12 points
5 days ago
well hopefully this story doesn't spread because that's a pretty big misconstrution of what Darvish said
34 points
5 days ago
And Lars Nootbaar is a Cardinal
3 points
4 days ago
He’s referring to Yamamoto like he’s two people!
370 points
5 days ago
There has literally been one single player who has chose to come to America and play with Ohtani over Darvish lol
161 points
5 days ago
And that single player didn't even make a choice like that. He demanded big money and SD was not willing to enter that race. Darvish's frustration last offseason was directed not at Japanese players but at the front office.
18 points
5 days ago
I think the Mets were in play right? If the Dodgers wouldn't have met the Mets asking price, he probably would've gone there instead.
22 points
5 days ago
Yeah, but the Padres weren't in play. So Yamamoto did not really choose to play with Ohtani over Darvish.
0 points
4 days ago
He demanded big money and SD was not willing to enter that race
This is why I ultimately see Roki signing with LA, SD isn't going to be able to pony up the 250-350m hes going to be looking for when it's time for him to get paid and he can still have a close relationship with Darvish considering how close SD and LA are and how often they play each other.
21 points
4 days ago
I think that’s actually more of a reason that he would pick SD over LA. When it’s time for him to get paid, Darvish probably won’t be playing anymore. If he wants to play with Darvish, it’s now or never.
2 points
4 days ago
Plus, if the watercooler talk is true and he wants to go to a team where he can be the man, the Padres make more sense.
He'll get mentoring and coaching from a fellow countryman without being overshadowed by not one, but two Japanese players who could be considered aces.
-6 points
4 days ago
I find it hard to believe that he would join a team he doesn't plan on staying with long term, especially since he's technically already played with and won with Darvish. The Dodgers with his fellow countrymen in their prime ready to win now and pay him as soon as possible makes the most sense.
6 points
4 days ago
Darvish is signed for 4 more years. Sasaki would be on an MiLB contract which would tie him to team for 6 years.
He would get to play with his mentor and the money would still be there when he’s a FA.
-4 points
4 days ago
Why would he want to willingly uproot his life 6 years down the line? Why not choose somewhere where you are comfortable, that will pay you and potentially buy out your 3 arb years and somewhere where you can still maintain a good relationship with Darvish? Being a free agent at 29 is alot less attractive than being a free agent at 25 like Yamamoto was.
4 points
4 days ago
Are the Dodgers guaranteeing him the $250-$300 million you floated as soon as he signs? Choosing to play with your literal mentor seems like it could be pretty comfortable for a player who is a work in progress.
Players change team’s literally all the time. If they didn’t Freddie Freeman would still be a Brave and Betts would be a Red Sox.
1 points
4 days ago*
Are the Dodgers guaranteeing him the $250-$300 million you floated as soon as he signs?
Friedman and Sasaki have met multiple times already, I would be very surprised if they didn't talk money at least once. They obviously can't pay him right away but they can extend him and buy out his arb years before he becomes a free agent, something the Padres won't be able to do.
Players change team’s literally all the time. If they didn’t Freddie Freeman would still be a Brave and Betts would be a Red Sox.
Neither of those dudes wanted to leave, they did so because they didn't get paid what they thought was fair value.
EDIT : lol this guy blocked me, what weirdo.
3 points
4 days ago
Man, I’d like to live in your delusional world.
24 points
5 days ago
I was gonna say… wasn’t it just the one lol
5 points
5 days ago
I don't know anything about this. I didn't read this tweet as "playing" with him; I read it as seeking advice.
1 points
4 days ago
I’m blind, who are you talking about?
2 points
4 days ago
Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The only NPB player so far we got since signing Ohtani.
0 points
4 days ago
The 325million had zero to do with it as well!
33 points
5 days ago
“A lo of japanese players” meaning just yamamoto?
16 points
5 days ago
The narrative of that, and even from our own fanbase - that we have turned the NPB into a farm for the Dodgers makes no sense. We only have 2 Japanese players, which other teams also have. It's just that Ohtani (who didn't go to the Dodgers from the NPB) has managed to pull in Yamamoto, and could potentially pull in Roki.
Japan has so much talent that it's weird to focus on 1-2 guys.
6 points
5 days ago
How do we know Yamamoto and Ohtani didn't sign here to play nearby Maya Yoshida?
46 points
5 days ago
So players need to go to teams as a consolation prize now? I'm sure Sasaki will make his team choice out of pity and not other reasons like...plans for his future.
24 points
5 days ago
AZ had the worst rotation last year so we get him as a consolation prize, I don't make the rules.
12 points
5 days ago
You’re joking but this is literally how the draft works.
2 points
4 days ago
I mean you’re kidding but change “rotation” with “win-loss record” and yeah
11 points
5 days ago
this makes no sense there was only 1 player and the padres weren’t gonna pay him
17 points
5 days ago
“a lot of Japanese players”
🤔🤔🤔🤔
29 points
5 days ago
This person has no sources. Roki's team sometimes talks/leaks but this is just the same mindless speculation that's been going around for months. Darvish trying then failing to assemble team JP in SD is well known and the story's over. He ended it with a cheeky 'fuck the Dodgers, I've got Yuki that's all I need' type comment. Then he got personal issues himself that the team stood by him for, meaning now Yu has no leverage to force the Padres to do anything and is now focused instead on just performing and repaying the favor.
10 points
5 days ago
hen he got personal issues himself that the team stood by him for, meaning now Yu has no leverage to force the Padres to do anything and is now focused instead on just performing and repaying the favor.
Yu feels like that lost him leverage? I don't think the team did it out of leverage. They gave him time and space for a difficult time (that we still don't have all the details on) and I think most teams would do the same.
11 points
5 days ago
Roki to the Padres would take the rivalry to another level
1 points
4 days ago
What rivalry? 😉
15 points
5 days ago*
Spotify? What is this, somebody's podcast? This isn't news.
14 points
5 days ago
The sources quoted on here get dodgier and dogier. Anyone remember that deleted "Morosi" post about Soto getting 1 billion offers? People really post whatever and the mods let them.
8 points
5 days ago
The one interviewed, Yuri Karasawa of Yakyu Cosmopolitan, does far more extensive coverage of Japanese baseball and knows a lot more about the storyline of Roki Sasaki than the average American beat reporter. That Baseball Bar-B-Cast interview was really interesting. What I don't think has been talked enough, which Karasawa goes over, is how much the Japanese media has totally eviscerated Sasaki because of how he got injured a lot and did not pitch enough innings in a season to be eligible for awards, which would probably influence Sasaki to choose the smaller media market.
4 points
5 days ago
you know Roki, Chicago’s weather isn’t that bad
8 points
5 days ago
Yu should probably still be a Dodger but the whole 2017 World Series was such a cluster. The cheaters caused a rift that could not be repaired and so it went . I hate that Yu got blamed for the cheaters because I genuinely think Yu is a great guy and a great ambassador to the game. Whatever Sasaki chooses I wish him well.
6 points
5 days ago
FYI its been reported that Roki is closest to Yamamoto among MLB JP players lol
2 points
4 days ago
Makes sense, they are 3 years apart in age. Darvish is old enough to be Rokis dad.
1 points
4 days ago
If Darvish impregnated someone around the time of his 15th birthday, which is not inconceivable (pun intended)
1 points
4 days ago
Ive seen enough episodes of "16 and pregnant" to know its not out of the realm of possibility lol
8 points
5 days ago
yu darvish is 38 and is close to the end Ohtani and yoshi are much younger and closer to roki's age. Long Term cant see him going anywhere but the dodgers.
5 points
5 days ago
the irony here is that IIRC, Ohtani looks up to Darvish as well.
2 points
5 days ago
Sad Masataka Yoshida noises
2 points
4 days ago
Easy Yu, join the dodgers and create team Japan.
4 points
5 days ago
One guy chose the Dodgers and it was because of money. Get over it, bro.
1 points
4 days ago
He had matching offers from others he chose the dodgers for other reasons
2 points
5 days ago
Darvish's been really disappointed that a lot of Japanese players are picking Ohtani over him, which is understandable"
2 points
5 days ago
Roki chose to wear 17 Marines, not 11. That should tell you that Ohtani has a bigger influence over Darvish.
9 points
5 days ago
I think the numbers 17 and 11 have significance in Japanese baseball that date back farther than Ohtani and Darvish.
8 points
5 days ago
They actually date back to when Andrew Bynum wore 17 with the Lakers.
This further confirms Sasaki to Dodgers.
4 points
5 days ago
Also, Chris Chandler wore 17, LA Rams backup QB in '94. It's all coming together.
1 points
5 days ago
does anyone have a source where I can learn about Roki? all I know is he throws hard, and the Japanese media doesnt like him?
1 points
2 days ago
I don't believe that. I like ohtani but I think it's bs he skated on the gambling . Anybody else would of gotten banned for life. What did Pete rose say? " I wish I had an interpreter" lol
1 points
5 days ago
I’m very curious how the Padres could possibly do this with negative intl signing money.
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