In a media landscape chasing clicks, Roki Sasaki has become news when he isn’t. Websites can’t help themselves, and spin every comment about Sasaki by anyone in baseball or anyone who used to be in baseball.

Last week, this meant an article with a splashy headline “former great takes Sasaki to task.” Another article proclaimed that the “Marines might trade Sasaki.” Although the headlines would make one think these were two different approaches to the Sasaki saga, they were virtually the same: that there is something wrong with a quality pitcher who hasn’t proven his ability to manage a professional workload.

Sasaki is currently not on the Marines active major league roster, having been dropped for the second time, soon after his first start following a two-week spell. His manager has said he is expected back soon, but that has only fueled the fires of the Sasaki stove league.

The first story made a mountain out of a comment from former Yakult Swallows ace Hiromu Matsuoka in which he essentially called Sasaki “a slacker,” but then walked back and explained that Sasaki must accelerate his learning progress in order to make the most of that high-velocity but fairly straight fastball, by setting it up better.