Dodgers suddenly become 'clear-cut favorites' for Roki Sasaki amid Padres drama

We're just about a week away from the opening of the 2025 international signing period, but the all of the hundreds of prospects up for grabs will take a back seat to the hype around Roki Sasaki.

Sasaki was posted during Winter Meetings but couldn't sign between Dec. 15 and Jan. 15, and his posting window closes on Jan. 23. He returned to Japan over the holidays to consider his options after conducting in-person meetings with at least seven teams and receiving pitches from 20 total.

Sasaki has the potential to completely shock the baseball world by going to a small market team with a large amount of bonus pool money, but the Dodgers still have multiple legs up here. Their only real competition seems to be the Padres, and the situation in San Diego is looking dicey lately.

On Monday, Padres co-owner Sheel Seidler, wife of the late Peter Seidler, sued her fellow owners and brothers-in-law Matthew and Robert for full control of the franchise.

The Padres still have yet to spend a single cent in free agency this offseason or make a notable trade, and a detail buried in Seidler's full complaint even alludes to Matthew's desire to relocate the team. Whatever's in store here is sure to cause a mess from top to bottom, and that may not be a mess that Sasaki will be willing to wade into.

On The Incline, Pat Ragazzo characterized the Dodgers as the "clear-cut favorites" to get Sasaki, and he cited the new litigation as a major cause for concern with San Diego.

Padres ownership drama could be a death knell in Roki Sasaki chase vs. Dodgers

Sasaki seems to be keeping a tight hold on the reins of his free agency and does seem to be considering all of his options. The teams he's reportedly held in-person meetings with include the Dodgers, Padres, Yankees, Mets, Cubs, Rangers, and Giants, and even the White Sox have sent him information and requested a meeting. Arguments against his chances of signing in LA have also been rife, but they're still constantly mentioned as favorites.

Agent Joel Wolfe has said that he doesn't expect Sasaki to sign immediately on Jan. 15, but news has to come down soon after. In any communication he continues to have with the Padres, one must imagine that AJ Preller will try to downplay any strife from the current ownership situation, but the news doesn't pair well with the fact that the Padres have been completely quiet on the markets and have doled out multiple contracts in years prior that won't age well. It definitely makes the Dodgers' chances look all the better.