A.J. Preller’s pursuit of Roki Sasaki, the standout prize of this offseason, may have unofficially started in the middle of the summer. On June 6, Padres pitche

Pitcher Roki Sasaki is the next star to make the jump from Japan to Major League Baseball. With Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto starring for the champion Los Angeles Dodgers, smart money is on Sasaki heading to Hollywood.

This is what happens when you neglect your big league roster for five years: a potential superstar like Roki Sasaki hits the market, and you're not a viable destination. Normally, we'd be diving into scouting reports on the ace Japanese right-hander,