The Philadelphia Phillies are determined to add talent this offseason by any means necessary. Despite boasting a roster as strong as nearly any team in the league, they stumbled when October arrived.
One key area the Phillies aim to improve is their starting rotation, particularly over Taijuan Walker. Walker struggled last season, posting a 7.10 ERA across 19 games.
While players like Garrett Crochet and Max Fried are solid options, the most intriguing candidate for the Phillies is international free agent Roki Sasaki, who has yet to play in MLB.
Christopher Kline of FanSided has also advocated for the Phillies to pursue Sasaki, suggesting they could use the funds originally intended for Juan Soto.
“With only four years of pro experience overseas, Sasaki isn’t eligible for the kind of mega-contract Yoshinobu Yamamoto received last winter,” Kline explained. “Instead, he’ll sign for the standard international prospect amount. Sasaki is expected to prioritize organizational fit over financial terms. The Phillies could offer him a rotation with three 2024 All-Stars and a proven history of developing top-tier pitchers like Nola and Suarez.”
Sasaki would undoubtedly be a tremendous addition to the Phillies, but the competition is fierce, as all 30 MLB teams have the resources to pursue him.
Predicting where the Japanese star will land is challenging since he isn’t yet eligible for a major league contract. For Philadelphia, the challenge will be making a compelling case that their organization is the perfect fit for Sasaki’s talents.
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