San Diego Padres general manager A.J. Preller speaks out after his team's failed pursuit of Roki Sasaki, who chose to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In San Diego, news that one-man Powerball ticket Roki Sasaki has decided to join the Dodgers was more than a gut punch. It was a steel-toed boot to the shin, a Clydesdale stomp to the foot, a right hook to the jaw. This hurt in all kinds of ways, big and bigger than big.

With ownership turmoil and no offseason additions, the Padres must figure out how to contend without the Japanese phenom they coveted.