MLB Rumors: Dodgers, Padres on 'Short List' for 2024 Series in South Korea

A National League West rivalry could be going international next season.

Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres are "likely" to start the 2024 season with a series in South Korea. Dennis Lin, Ken Rosenthal and Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic echoed the report that the two rivals are "on the short list" of teams that may play in South Korea next season.

Lin noted that Padres infielder Ha-Seong Kim, who was born in South Korea and played in the Korea Baseball Organization, "is among the country's most popular stars."

He would be far from the only star if these two teams played each other and the rosters remained largely intact. San Diego's roster includes Juan Soto, Manny Machado, Yu Darvish, Xander Bogaerts and Fernando Tatís Jr., while the Dodgers feature Mookie Betts, Julio Urías, Clayton Kershaw and Freddie Freeman, among others.

South Korea is a logical place to host an international series next year as Major League Baseball attempts to grow the game.

"The KBO is now one of the highest-ranking baseball leagues in the world, and baseball is South Korea's most popular sport," Thomas Harrigan of MLB.com wrote.

MLB has scheduled games in other countries recently with the Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics facing each other in Japan in 2019. That same year, the St. Louis Cardinals faced the Cincinnati Reds and the Houston Astros played the Los Angeles Angels in Mexico, while the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox played in London.

The Padres faced the San Francisco Giants in Mexico this season, while the Cardinals will play the rival Chicago Cubs in London in June.

Playing games in South Korea will be another extension of this pattern and will give fans in the country the opportunity to see two of the most star-studded rosters in the league.