San Diego Padres star third baseman Manny Machado believes Roki Sasaki always had an eye on signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
"I think he had his mind set already on where he was going," Machado said, per The Athletic's Dennis Lin. "That’s just my opinion."
The Padres were reportedly one of three finalists to land Sasaki, along with the Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays. The 23-year-old right-hander ultimately decided to join the Dodgers.
The Padres have been relatively quiet this offseason, and a legal dispute involving ownership is looming over the club and leading to some uncertainty. But Machado doesn't think the situation had an impact on San Diego's chances of signing Sasaki, according to Lin.
The Dodgers and Padres have formed a heated rivalry over the past few seasons, meeting in the playoffs on three occasions since 2020. The Dodgers won two of those three postseason matchups and went on to win the World Series in both instances.
