Blue Jays reporter Scott Mitchell of TSN appeared on Toronto’s morning show “First Up” on Wednesday. There, he revealed a close connection between Sasaki and the Blue Jays that should send tremors down the Yankees ’ spine. It begins with a member of Toronto’s front office staff, Frank Hermann, who was a former major league pitcher.

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

The Dodgers could trade for international bonus pool money as the deadline to sign Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki nears its conclusion.

MLB's 2025 international signing period opened, an annual date of significance in which top international amateur players can begin signing with MLB teams.