The Padres have walked away from the last two international signing periods with arguably the best prospects on the board. Expect crickets when this year’s window opens Wednesday — at least until Japanese superstar Roki Sasaki makes his decision.

The San Diego Padres and the reigning MLB champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers, are two of the favorites and finalists for the coveted signature of Japanese ace Roki Sasaki, who has been given the green light to sign with any Major League team that can woo him during this offseason.