It was the result everyone anticipated, but not the one everyone hoped for. On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Dodgers introduced Roki Sasaki, their latest international acquisition. The 23-year-old Japanese pitching sensation signed a minor league deal last week, which included a $6.5 million signing bonus.
The Philadelphia Phillies were never major contenders in what initially appeared to be a wide-open race for Sasaki. Due to MLB’s international free agency rules, teams were limited in their offers based on their 2025 international bonus pool allocations.
“I spent the last month both embracing and reflecting on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to choose a team where I can develop the most as a player,” Sasaki said during Wednesday’s press conference, as translated by team interpreter Will Ireton, via MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell.
Philadelphia, clearly, wasn’t the choice.
Phillies never even had the chance to make a splash with Roki Sasaki
The Phillies submitted a proposal to Roki Sasaki’s camp but never progressed far enough to secure an in-person meeting. According to Paul Casella of MLB.com, Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski admitted defeat even before the December holidays.
“We have not been invited to talk to him at this point,” Dombrowski said, as reported by Casella. “We sent in our original information; they know we’re very interested in presenting, but we haven’t been invited to the table.”
That stings.
This missed opportunity to even compete for Sasaki highlights the Phillies’ ongoing struggles in the international market. To date, the franchise has only had two Japanese players on its roster—Tadahito Iguchi and So Taguchi—and has yet to sign a major impact player directly from Japan or Korea.
Shortly after the Sasaki announcement, the Phillies revealed their own Japanese signing—a minor league deal with 31-year-old sidearm pitcher Koyo Aoyagi. While Aoyagi has potential, it remains uncertain whether he’ll make the roster out of spring training or have a significant impact this season. No disrespect to Aoyagi, but he’s not Sasaki. He’s also not Yoshinobu Yamamoto. And he’s definitely not Shohei Ohtani.
The Phillies failed to make any headway with Ohtani when he entered MLB in 2017, and despite reportedly offering over $300 million, they were passed over last offseason by Yamamoto.
Phillies still trying to build an impactful foothold in Japan
The Phillies appear to be trailing teams like the Dodgers in establishing a strong presence in the Japanese and Korean baseball markets. However, their lack of success isn’t for lack of trying. During last offseason’s pursuit of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, considerable attention was drawn to the Phillies’ increased focus on Asia, a priority for Dave Dombrowski since he joined the organization in 2021.
“We have now established more of a base to deal with clubs,” Dombrowski said about the team’s improved operations in Asia, according to MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki. “But I don’t think we necessarily have to sign somebody to establish that more. Having the base, having the interaction to get the player at the right time will be important.”
So, who will be the right player at the right time for the Phillies?
Munetaka Murakami, a 24-year-old superstar slugger and two-time Central League MVP, has announced plans to come to MLB after the 2025 season. Unfortunately for the Phillies, they’re already out of the running—Murakami has expressed a desire to play on the West Coast.
This raises a crucial question: Is the Phillies’ struggle to sign top talent from Japan and Korea less about organizational strategy and more about geography? Philadelphia, while a passionate sports city with its own unique culture, lacks the broad appeal of sunny Southern California. Players drawn to the allure of the West Coast may not be swayed by the East Coast’s colder climate and different lifestyle.
To make matters worse, the Phillies face fierce competition from the Yankees and Mets for international talent. While they’ve made strides in building their presence in Asia, Philadelphia may need more than effort and infrastructure to overcome its geographical disadvantage in the global baseball marketplace.
Will Philadelphia ever become a destination for Japanese players?
The Phillies aren’t giving up, and signing Koyo Aoyagi might just be the first small step in the right direction.
“There’s just so much talent over there,” Phillies general manager Sam Fuld said last March, as reported by Todd Zolecki. “As an organization, we want to put our best foot forward and put ourselves in a spot to land some of that premium talent that exists there.”
For a franchise that’s over 140 years old, the Phillies are relatively new to the role of perennial contender. After dominating the NL East with five consecutive division titles from 2007 to 2011, the team spent a decade lost in the wilderness of non-competitiveness.
Now, under the leadership of Dave Dombrowski and managing partner John Middleton, the Phillies are striving to build a sustainable dynasty. Signing a young star like Roki Sasaki would have accelerated that vision, but earning the trust and interest of international players might take more time. A few years of consistent contention may not be enough to establish Philadelphia as a go-to destination for foreign stars just yet.
Still, the team is making progress, and the hope remains that one day, the Phillies will be able to attract premium talent from overseas. Perhaps it’s just a matter of time.
Leave a Reply