This Could Change EVERYTHING For the Phillies...

Dave Dombrowski is facing some major decisions this Philadelphia Phillies offseason with the court aging at a seemingly rapid rate and continuing to underperform when the lights are the brightest. But what are the next steps to build out this Phillies team? Is it a retool? Is it a rebuild? And could there be a secret weapon in what could give this Phillies franchise a competitive advantage when it comes to building out the roster? Well there is a theory being floated out there. Shout out Nicole Weintraub of NBC Sports who did inspire a little bit this video here with an idea that I've talked about quite a bit over the past few months and years on this channel. The Phillies getting involved in the Japanese market. I do want to dive into what he wrote for NBC Philly and talk about a couple additions and what it could mean for this Phillies team. So let's jump right into things to hear and I do want to kick things off with this article once again from Nicole Weintraub and he writes, look around the MLB postseason, Philadelphia fans may not want to at this point. The Phillies season ended short of a championship for the fifth consecutive October, but watching the rest of the playoffs offers another reminder of where their organization continues to lag behind other successful teams around the game. It's not necessarily a domestic shortcoming. It is the Phillies lack of presence internationally, specifically in Japan. A record eight Japanese born players made active postseason rosters this year. Shohei Otani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Roki Sasaki are attempting to help the Dodgers win a third consecutive World Series. The Cubs were eliminated, but Shoto Imanaga and Seiya Suzuki will both reach free agency this winter. Muneteka Murakami and Tatsuya Ime helped the White Sox and Astros reach the postseason during their first years in the United States. Padres reliever Yuki Matsui rounded out the record setting group. Meanwhile, the Phillies have never signed a player directly from the MVPs to major league contract. They have employed Japanese born players before, Torigatou Igamuchi, which I'm sorry, I'm brutalizing some of these games, in a trade during the 2007 season, and So Tachui signed in with the Phillies after spending six years with the Cardinals. Neither represented the Phillies successfully, recruiting an established player out of Japan and bring them directly to their organization. Now the reason that I do bring this up and want to start with here is several of these names are ones that we're familiar with. Tatsuya Ime, the Phillies were very much involved in this. Muneteka Murakami, we talked about. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, that the Phillies offer more money than the Dodgers directly to bring him to Philadelphia. Now the clear hurdle that there's nothing that can be done about this from an organizational standpoint is simple geography. That it is much closer to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers than it is to come to Philadelphia. We are talking the entire length of the United States difference in that regard. And to the Phillies credit, they've really laid the groundwork for trying to get an in in Japan. Whether this is bringing in minor league players, whether this is the presence, the rate that they're actually out there watching games, talking to players, talking to front offices, they have been doing the work, which is why this is such a pivotal offseason for this idea to actually come to fruition. So to continue on with the article here, I do want to go on to that it states, they have tried to change this more recently. The Phillies aggressively pursued Yamamoto before the 2024 season and were willing to make a significant financial commitment to the star right hander. Yamamoto chose the Dodgers. The following winter, the Phillies expressed interest in Sasaki, but they were not among the teams granted an in-person meeting before he also chose Los Angeles. Those pursuits showed the Phillies understood the value of entering the Japanese market. They also illustrated how difficult it is to break into without any history there. Los Angeles has become a destination for Japanese players because of its sizable Japanese community, its location and travel access to their home country and the growing alumni network the Dodgers have created. Otani helped make Los Angeles more attractive to Yamamoto and the presence of both players offered Sasaki something no other interested organization could replicate. Philadelphia does not have those built-in advantages. There are no direct flights between Philadelphia International Airport and Japan. The Phillies cannot point to a Japanese star who succeeded here and can explain the organization and city to the next player considering the move. The most recent attempt to establish a connection was Koya Aoyagi, whom the Phillies signed to a minor league contract before the 2025 season. Aoyagi posted a 7.22 ERA between double-A and triple-A and never reached Philadelphia. He had kind of a sidearm type release. I was in on this guy. I wanted him to be something useful, especially as we were just ultimately, you know, hoping for any bit of competent bullpen play. I looked up a good bit of this guy's film, just simply did not quite have it. Now it continues on to write, that does not mean the Phillies should assign a Japanese player simply to say they have done it. It does mean they need to recognize how one successful signing could make the next pursuit considerably easier. Now, the reality of what Cole is pointing to is this isn't a one-for-one sort of race here. You got to kind of, you know, dig in the weeds, find a guy that is maybe undervalued, empty the bank account in a way that other organizations are not willing to, to get one of these top market names. But you cannot do it just to do it. This is not about signing anybody. You need a player that can help this team. And the idea that Cole comes up with, I think is pretty intriguing here. So he goes on to state, the Phillies had an opportunity last offseason to begin changing their history in the market while addressing a clear need in their lineup. Japanese corner infielder Kazuma Okamoto and Murakami were both available. The Phillies did not seriously pursue either player, even though their aggressive pursuit of Bo Bichette later in the winter showed they were willing to change the look of their infield and potentially move on from Alec Bowman at third base. Hindsight is always easier, especially with players making the transition from the MVP. There was legitimate questions about how Murakami's swing and miss tendencies would translate against major league pitching and how Okamoto's offensive production would hold up outside of Japan. Both answered enough of those questions in their first seasons. Okamoto hit 33 home runs and drove in 92 runs for Toronto. Murakami hit 35 home runs in 127 games for the White Sox, despite missing time with a hamstring injury. Those became the two highest single season home run totals set by Japanese-born players during their first years in the majors. The Phillies did not need to know with certainty that either player would immediately produce at that level. They needed to recognize the opportunity to add a talented player who could help them on the field while also giving them credibility in a market that continues to shape the championship picture. That opportunity exists again this offseason. The Phillies court is not exactly finished, but it is becoming older, more expensive, and increasingly familiar to teams trying to beat it. After five consecutive postseason appearances without a championship, there needs to be a different feel around the club entering 2027. That does not require the Phillies to dismantle everything. It requires them to find a new source of talent that could extend their window and prevent the organization from falling into another prolonged transition once its current stars decline. That uncertainty surrounds the next collective bargaining agreement could complicate an already expensive offseason. It also gives the Phillies another chance to establish themselves in Japan before the competition for Japanese players becomes even greater. It may only take one successful signing, one player that could lead to the next. This winter, there are two Japanese players who fit the Phillies roster beyond the significance of where they were born. Suzuki, who turned 32 in August, is one of them. The Phillies have struggled to find any sustained success in right field since Bryce Harper became the full-time first baseman. Suzuki would give them a steady right fielder in the type of right-handed hitter their lineup could lose if Boehm departs in free agency. To this point right here, I do want to note the first conversation that needs to be had is we should start talking about Bryce Harper as a full-time first baseman once again. I do think that is the right, proper trajectory to maximize his career. He is largely there for his bat, not his glove, and ultimately, he's got a pretty damn good glove as well. He's a solid right fielder, with the exception, of course, one of the worst errors that I've ever seen that almost cost the Phillies directly, but then again, he made up for his bat right after in the series against the Braves. Bryce Harper is not the problem. Bryce Harper is the solution. That's going to be one of my messages for this offseason that I'm seeing too many people trying to scapegoat Bryce Harper as the lone problem. Has Bryce Harper been perfect? No, but he's certainly been closer to it than just about any other member of this organization based on the way that he's produced on the field. I do believe that the right perspective is to look at him as the first baseman moving forward. That means the outfield needs to be addressed. They cannot do what essentially they did this season by just having platoon options at every single spot. Brandon Marsh, for as great as he was in the first half, it's pretty clear to me that that is a platoon type left fielder. Justin Crawford. I'm encouraged by the steps that he took, some of the flashes that he showed, but we know this dude is still young. He's still figuring out how to hit for power. He's going to have to be like a 300 type hitter to have an impactful MLB career. Derrick Hill. It was nice that he caught a little bit of lightning in the bottom, but we've also seen the back of the baseball card for what that looks like on a year by year basis. Are you buying the Brian de la Cruz hype? Is that something that is here to stay? I know the Dominican league MVP, he had some really nice flashes, his left handed hitting well, but these are risks. You do need a little bit more stability and Suzuki could be that. So to continue on, the article goes on to state, after the 2022, the year that he debuted for the Cubs, Suzuki has averaged 28 home runs in 97 RBIs per 162 games, posting an OPS above 800 in four consecutive seasons. Suzuki hit 270 with a 368 on base percentage, 26 home runs and 86 RBIs this season. His 81 walks and 5.1 wins above replacement were both career highs. His patience would carry particular value for a Philadelphia lineup that has repeatedly allowed its chase problems to become magnified during the postseason. Suzuki is capable of driving in the baseball without expanding the strike zone as frequently as many of the hitters who have surrounded Harper and Kyle Schwaber. He also showed considerable improvement defensively this season. His range numbers took a significant step forward and he combined those improvements with a strong throwing arm that he has carried throughout his career. Suzuki is not likely to command the type of contract to prevent the Phillies from making other additions. A deal of approximately four years would give them an established middle of the order hitter without creating another commitment that stretches deep into the player's late 30s. He would address right field, replace the right-handed production the Phillies could lose with Boehm, and bring in a stronger approach into a lineup that needs one. Signing Suzuki could also help the Phillies pursue the most talented Japanese player expected to be posted this winter. The argument being made here by Cole is, if it is so difficult to get a guy to be willing to take the risk to move from Japan, where he's having a successful career, come all the way across the country to Philadelphia, maybe you try and find a guy that is already in America, that is already playing in the MLB, that you're not talking him into taking the leap. You're just saying, move a couple cities over on the East Coast, man. That is all you're asking. Chicago ain't that far from Philadelphia, and Suzuki is, in my opinion, a pretty clear fit for what they're looking like stylistically. The player he alluded to, for what this could lead to, Teruyaki Sato, has been on the radar for some time. In May, Preston Matichly and several other members of the organization traveled to Japan to scout the left-handed hitting 3rd baseman. It is easy to understand their interest. Sato, a member of the Hanshin Tigers, has been the most dangerous power hitter in them at the NPB over the last two seasons. He hit 40 home runs and drove in 102 runs in 2025, then followed that performance by hitting 311 with 39 home runs, 105 RBIs, and a 1.009 OPS this season. There is a swing and miss in his game, which will create questions about how quickly he can adjust to Major League velocity. His increased willingness to walk, however, has made him a more complete hitter. Sato carries exceptional bat speed and generates considerable power from a relatively quiet setup at the plate. He also grew up admiring Harper, according to a report from Sportsnippen. That might not carry much weight once negotiations begin, but it's at least one connection to an organization still searching for every advantage it can find in Japan. Citizens Bank Park would offer an inviting environment for Sato's left-handed power. Harper and Schwarber have already demonstrated how much damage elite left-handed hitting can produce there, particularly when they are willing to use the opposite field instead of trying to pull every pitch. Suzuki and Sato also have familiarity with one another through Samurai Japan. Signing Suzuki would not guarantee that Sato follows him to Philadelphia, but it would allow the Phillies to present something they have never been able to offer, a Japanese free agent, an established player from his home country who already understands the organization, the clubhouse, and the adjustment to living in Philadelphia. I'm kind of all in on this idea, but I do think this is an offseason where the Phillies have to think outside of the box and this is a concept that does register me. I've been banging this table for several years, giving praise to the Phillies largely for their attempts to get in the market. This does feel like the clearest pathway to actually making some noise. This is only the start of some really talented baseball players coming to the United States and this different pathway going from professional league to professional league, as we're seeing with the Morikamis of the world, the Shohei Otanis, the Yamamotos, all these guys that are absolutely delivering in Japan, like you see what they are as real professional athletes. It's a whole different mindset from just signing guys out of high school or college that you're bringing up through your developmental system. These are largely finished products that you're bringing to your team. This is essentially a free agent addition. It is a free agent addition, just a little bit of a different style and nature than is the case in signing another MLB player. I want to see the Phillies go down that pathway. I think this is an offseason where change is required and this is the type of switch up that could really bring some new life into the organization. We'll see if they do elect to go down this path, but I love the thought process from Cole and I do believe this could bring real results to this Phillies team. Would love to hear if you guys agree with me in the comments. Appreciate you guys for tuning in to this video. Sorry I was reading a lot in this one, but I did want to make sure I presented that in full, but I appreciate you guys for tuning in as always. If you guys know the drill, if you have not just yet, make sure you smash the subscribe button to the channel. We're going to be with you all offseason here on Phillies Digest. It is going to be a turbulent one, an eventful one, and plenty to talk about on the big picture of baseball and this Phillies team in particular. So make sure you guys are tapping in by hitting that subscribe button, dropping a like on this video, giving your thoughts below, and I'll be back to talk to you next time.