..."show me that you want me", then JD has done pretty much all anyone could ask. And all of it right out in plain view.
Unfortunately, I get the feeling that's not it.
Sho has already stated IIRC, that he doesn't want to join a team with another Japanese player. In other words, that would allow him to stand out.
What if that's expanded to the desire to be the only STAR player on a team? If that's his thing, the Padres win hands-down.
So the competing question is how much he wants his team to compete. He singlehandedly is not going to make the Padres competitive in that division. He would be the de facto star on a losing team.
So I think the M's pitch points are:
- DH
- active and welcoming Japnese-American community
- 'win now' roster
Hoping that's enough. And for the record, my rival of concern is the Cubs. I don't know why they made it to the final list unless Sho had a fondness for them going in.