Padres appear to be missing out on Roki Sasaki sweepstakes, leaving Dodgers and Blue Jays: report

The Los Angeles Dodgers have liked their chances in the Roki Sasaki sweepstakes from the start and now they appear to be getting closer to signing the valuable offseason free agent.

According to a report from Francys Romero of Beisbol FR, the San Diego Padres have been eliminated, leaving the Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays as the bottom two teams.

“I have heard from several sources that the Padres are missing Roki Sasaki,” Romero reported.

Romero added that the Padres will begin using their international bonus allocation on free agents Jhoan De La Cruz and Carlos Alvarez in the coming hours.

Jon Morosi of MLB Network cited Romero’s report Friday morning on Hot Stove saying the Padres have not made an official statement, but that the report was telling because the Padres are preparing to sign some of their international prospects.

“Further steps they take would prevent them from signing Sasaki under the same international signing bonus cap,” Morosi said. “Assuming this is how things actually play out, that would leave the Dodgers and Blue Jays as Roki Sasaki’s two remaining suitors.”