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

The Padres will sign left-hander and international amateur free agent Carlos Alvarez, according to The Athletic's Will Sammon. That's an intriguing development given that the Padres are considered one of the three finalists (alongside the Dodgers and Blue Jays) in the running for Japanese ace Roki Sasaki.

The race to sign Rōki Sasaki appears to be down to the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays. Per MLB insider Francys Romero, the San Diego Padres are

Japanese sensation Roki Sasaki chose to sign with the Dodgers, he announced. That leaves the Padres to face an uncertain path in the months leading up to the 2025 season and to face the reality of their closest and most irksome rival going forward with yet another star player.

The Blue Jays announced on Friday that they've obtained outfielder Myles Straw, cash, and international bonus signing pool space from the Guardians in exchange for a player to be named later or cash.

Adding top-level international talent is never a bad thing, even if it likely means you’re not going to be signing the biggest fish in the pool. According to multiple reports the Padres have agreed to 7-figure deals with a pair of Dominican teenagers,

According to multiple reports, the Padres are out on Sasaki and it's down to the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays.

And then there were two. According to reports from The Athletic’s Will Sammon and Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com, the San Diego Padres appear to have dropped out of the Roki Sasaki sweepstakes, with the franchise pivoting to a pair of international prospects from the Dominican Republic,