Will the Phillies again try to establish themselves in the Japanese market? Here are three candidates

While the exact dollar amount of their final offer isn’t totally clear, it’s no secret that the Phillies were major players in the market of Yoshinobu Yamamoto two offseasons ago. Part of the appeal was obvious: The three-time defending Sawamura Award winner, now reigning World Series MVP and third-place Cy Young finisher, has so far lived up to his billing as the highest-paid pitcher-only in MLB history. 

But there was another motive: It was an opportunity for the Phillies to establish themselves in the Japanese market, one that’s eluded them for years. The Phillies tried with Shōta Imanaga that same offseason, but the two sides were never close, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told Phillies Nation in July 2024. They were interested in Rōki Sasaki last year and never really stood a chance because they aren’t the Los Angeles Dodgers.

There are opportunities to try again this offseason. Will the Phillies pursue them? Here are three options. 

Shōta Imanaga, LHP, 32

Speaking of Imanaga, he’s back on the market this offseason, in rather surprising fashion. After he posted a 3.28 ERA in 318 innings his first two years in MLB, the Cubs surprisingly declined a three-year club option for $19.25 million annually. It gave Imanaga a $15.25 million player option for next season, which he predictably declined, officially becoming a free agent. 

Could he make sense for the Phillies? The fit seems reasonable. Especially with the likely departure of Ranger Suárez and the uncertainty around Zack Wheeler’s health, the Phillies could take a similar path as last offseason and double down on the strongest aspect of their team in the starting rotation. 

Imanaga has always showcased exceptional command, walking just 1.5 batters per nine in his two years as a Cub, but the underlying metrics last year weren’t great. Hard contact (MLB’s 24th percentile) was an issue, as was getting the ball on the ground (4th percentile). His second half lagged behind his first, too.

Imanaga is 32 and certainly experienced a bit of a sophomore regression. Partially because of those reasons, the price won’t be astronomical — MLB Trade Rumors predicted a three-year, $45 million pact for Imanaga, which would be much cheaper than a Suárez deal, for what it’s worth. 

Tatsuya Imai, RHP, 27

Imai, who will reportedly be posted next week, will command a deal closer to the Suárez range than Imanaga will. Perhaps that won’t stop the Phillies: MLB Network and Dodgers Radio’s David Vassegh said Friday that the Phillies are one of a handful of “leading candidates” for Imai this winter. 

Listed at 5-foot-11 and 154 pounds, Imai’s lack of size doesn’t translate to lack of firepower: sitting mid-90s with more in the tank, Imai posted a 1.92 ERA with 162 2/3 innings for the NPB’s Saitama Seibu Lions last year, with almost 10 strikeouts per nine.

It’s worth mentioning that neither MLBTR (projecting a six-year, $150 million deal) nor The Athletic’s Jim Bowden listed the Phillies among Imai’s best fits or likeliest landing spots. But Imai is a young, undersized yet hard-throwing, right-handed starter seen as the best foreign prospect in the free agent class, who could help the Phillies get their foot in the door of the Japanese market, and they’re maybe being overlooked as major contenders. Point is: We’ve seen that exact scenario before, and they made a much more competitive push than we expected. It also won’t cost them $300 million. (It also wouldn’t cost the Dodgers $300 million.)

Munetaka Murakami, 25, 1B/3B

This mention is more “for fun” than anything, because the red flags are just about everywhere. He strikes out at an ungodly rate (27% this year, 29.5% last year, 28.1% the year before). He doesn’t play a good third base. He had elbow and oblique injuries this year. He cannot really hit velocity at all.

But the appeal is pretty simple: He hits dingers. The “Japanese Babe Ruth” crushed 24 in 69 games this year, and anywhere from 31 to 56 (!) in 140-143 games each of the previous six years, except one year when he hit 28 in 120. So, yeah. 

The Phillies losing Kyle Schwarber feels like a necessary precursor to any discussion surrounding the “the Babe Ruth of Higo” — yes, another nickname — because without the DH void or the desperate need for left-handed power, those above red flags are a tough sell.

But if Schwarber goes elsewhere (or maybe an Alec Bohm departure clears up third base), perhaps there’s more of a fit? It would be a project, and it would not be cheap: Just about all of the total Schwarber money would instead go to “Murakami-sama” (a third nickname which literally compares him to a god), who MLBTR tabbed for eight years, $180 million. (Bowden’s estimate was six years, $160 million, a higher AAV.)

Again, maybe it’s a project the Phillies aren’t willing to put up with. But the idea of it is too fun not to float.