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

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,

The Padres have dropped out on the Roki Sasaki sweepstakes and MLB fans are speculating that the Dodgers will win the race.

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.

Roki Sasaki reportedly eliminated one of his three finalists Friday, suggesting he is close to ending the suspense of his free agency.

Roki Sasaki will sign with either the Dodgers, Padres, or Blue Jays. Here's how their pitching staffs would look with the Japanese sensation in the fold.

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,

An overwhelming expectation throughout the Roki Sasaki sweepstakes has been the Japanese phenom would ultimately decide between signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers or San Diego Padres.