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

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