This offseason, the Philadelphia Phillies created a stir when they unexpectedly pursued Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The 25-year-old player was reportedly offered more than $300 million by the Phillies, but he ultimately signed a 12-year, $325 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The two-time Nippon Professional Baseball MVP Zack Wheeler and the freshly reinstated Aaron Nola are already in the starting rotation; Yamamoto would have added their names to it.
The Phillies have taken other steps to increase their market share in Asia, and that was not the first. Dave Dombrowski and the Philadelphia front office wish to expand their scouting efforts in Japan and other Asian nations, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
“We’ve definitely made a big step forward,” Dombrowski declared. “The performance [in Asia] keeps getting better. The athletes keep getting better. You should try to be as detailed as you can.”
More Asian scouts have lately been hired by the Phillies; they are stationed in Taiwan, Korea, and Japan. Dombrowski gave assistant general manager Jorge Velandia instructions to concentrate on Asia as well as Latin America. Additionally, more American scouts have begun visiting Japan.
The Phillies are now reaching new heights in their overseas scouting endeavors. Sankei Sports reports that Philadelphia is conducting trials for pitchers in Japan. A video screening procedure will be used in the first round, and candidates must be able to pass the radar gun at a speed of at least 145 KM (about 91 MPH).
In the future, Philadelphia will be at the forefront of the group that scouts and pursues Japanese players. Naturally, the rest of the league is doing the same. Asian free agents are drawn to teams like the Dodgers and Angels. Playing beside Ohtani and Yamamoto has a lot of appeal, and the Giants recently signed Jung Hoo Lee after entering the Korean market. The teams from the west coast naturally have an advantage over those from Philadelphia and the east coast.
Still, the Phillies are wise to increase their international efforts by two or threefold. One undiscovered gem is all it takes to turn their franchise around. Twice in a row, the Phillies have advanced to the NLCS. In MLB, there aren’t many more viable competitors. Expect the Phillies to keep pursuing the best pitchers in Japan as long as Bryce Harper remains at the heart of their recruiting machine and Zack Wheeler’s free agency is approaching.