The Phillies finally made an offer to the coveted free agent after much speculation that they were interested in the standout pitcher from Japan.
According to Matt Gelb of The Athletic, the Phillies have made an offer to 25-year-old standout Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (subscription required). Yamamoto is the most sought-after free agent on the market right now, attracting interest from a number of high-profile teams. He has stated that he wants to pitch on the biggest stage and is currently evaluating offers.
While the amount of the offer has not been disclosed, Alex Coffey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the Phillies intended to be aggressive in their pursuit of the right-handed pitcher. The Phillies may not be able to offer the most money, but Philadelphia has become known as an electric place to play and has had team success in recent years.
The Phillies are one of seven teams reported to be interested in Yamamoto, along with the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays, and San Francisco Giants.Yoshinobu Yamamoto has spent his entire career pitching in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball League. Over 967 2/3 innings, he has a 1.72 ERA with 986 strikeouts and only 216 walks. He has won almost every award available to a pitcher, including the Pacific League MVP Award twice, the Eiji Sawamura Award (Japan’s version of the Cy Young Award) three times, and two Gold Gloves.
According to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi, Bryce Harper FaceTimed with Yamamoto during the Phillies’ pitch to him.
Harper, a Philadelphia transplant, has grown to love the city and organization and has nothing but positive things to say about them. Harper, like Yamamoto, adores the big stage and craves victory above all else. Having him on the field could be the secret sauce that gets Yamamoto in the red pinstripes.
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