Padres to Sign Top International Prospects in Surprise Move

The San Diego Padres may be out of the running for free agent pitcher Roki Sasaki, who is MLB’s highest-ranked international prospect.

The Padres were initially named as one of three finalists for the Japanese-born pitcher. But, their expected signings of two top international prospects suggest San Diego will not sign Sasaki.

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San Diego is reportedly finalizing deals with left-handed pitcher Carlos Alvarez and shortstop Jhoan De La Cruz. Alvarez and De La Cruz are ranked No. 39 and No. 21 respectively in the MLB prospect rankings.

Both players turned 17 in November and are natives of the Dominican Republic. De La Cruz is from the same hometown as Padres outfielder Fernando Tatís Jr.

Alvarez had reportedly been committed to a deal with the Padres but explored other options while San Diego pursued Sasaki. The addition of both international prospects suggests that the Padres will not acquire Sasaki.

International news: LHP Carlos Alvarez will sign with the Padres, league sources said. Alvarez was originally committed to Padres but like some other prominent prospects he pursued other opportunities while teams tried to figure out international budgets for Roki Sasaki.
— Will Sammon (@WillSammon) January 17, 2025

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Alvarez is reportedly getting a $1 million signing bonus, while De La Cruz’s bonus remains unknown. However, several sources project De La Cruz to earn a signing bonus between $1 million and $2 million.

The Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays remain in the sweepstakes for the 23-year-old Sasaki. Although the Dodgers have the lowest international bonus pool ($5.146 million) of the two teams, Los Angeles has reportedly explored trade opportunities to get more money to offer Sasaki.

Like the Blue Jays, the Padres have a higher international bonus pool than the Dodgers. Both Toronto and San Diego had $6.262 million for international prospects entering the day. However, the Blue Jays acquired another $2 million in a trade Friday morning.

Despite having more money than the Dodgers, the Padres were also considering trade options to add to their bonus pool while they were pursuing Sasaki. However, it's unlikely the Padres make any moves now if they are, in fact, out on Sasaki.

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There are still no reports regarding Sasaki’s decision. His agent Joel Wolfe stated that Sasaki’s decision will not solely be based on which team can offer him the largest signing bonus.

However, he must sign with an MLB team before his negotiating window closes on Jan. 23 to remain eligible for the 2025 season in the Major Leagues. If he does not sign with a team, he will head back to Japan to play in Nippon Professional Baseball for another season.