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 is a Los Angeles Dodger, and few in the baseball industry are particularly surprised. The 23-year-old Japanese hurler, one of the most promising talents in the nation’s storied baseball history,

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