Phillies reportedly make offer to Yoshinobu Yamamoto

The bidding for star Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto has begun and the Philadelphia Phillies are in it.

The Phillies, according to Matt Gelb of The Athletic, made an offer to the free agent right-handed starter. It’s unclear what the terms of the offer are.

They are far from the only team bidding for Yamamoto. The Dodgers, according to Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times, are considering a $250 to $300 million bid for Yamamoto. The Mets, Yankees, Giants and Red Sox are also in the mix and are desperate to land him.

It’s surprising that the Phillies have made it this far in the process. They are not considered the favorites to land the 25-year-old Yamamoto. Only two players of Japanese origin, So Taguchi and Tadahito Iguchi, have played for the Phillies. Every other team in the bidding has a history with Japanese free agents. The Giants and Dodgers have the geography advantage. Playing alongside Shohei Ohtani could appeal to Yamamoto. The Mets and Yankees have more money to spend. It’s unclear if Yamamoto has serious interest in signing with the Phillies.

Yamamoto reportedly met with the Phillies last week at his agency’s office in Los Angeles. He flew to the east coast to meet with the Yankees and Mets, but did not stop in Philadelphia or Boston to meet with the Phillies or Red Sox.

With all that said, if Yamamoto embraces the spotlight and pressure the way some rumors suggest he does, Philadelphia should be an appealing landing spot.

There are two advantages the Phillies have over the rest of the field: They have gone farther in the postseason than any of the other remaining teams involved in the last two seasons and can boast the best playoff atmosphere in MLB. If winning in the short term are at the top of the list of his priorities, the Phillies, Dodgers and Yankees are the best fits.

Adding Yamamoto to a rotation that already includes Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler and Ranger Suárez would give the Phillies the best rotation in baseball. It’s one of the only moves the team can make that would significantly boost their odds to win the NL East and World Series.

If the Phillies sign Yamamoto, he could become the highest paid player on the team on an annual basis. Yamamoto, before throwing a single pitch in MLB, will likely sign the longest pitching contract ever, beating Gerrit Cole’s nine-year deal signed in 2019-2020. Signing Yamamoto would take the Phillies over the third luxury tax threshold. The Phillies, according to reporting from Todd Zolecki of MLB.com, would likely have to cut payroll to make a possible Yamamoto signing work.

“Stupid money” is truly coming full circle. Next February will mark five years since Bryce Harper signed with the Phillies for 13 years, $330 million with no opt outs. The cost to play at the top of the market has skyrocketed ever since the lockout ended and Harper’s contract is widely seen as a bargain for the team. Five years ago, $330 million was the price to pay for one of the best hitters in MLB at age 26. Now, $330 million might be the price for a 25-year-old star pitcher who has yet to make his MLB debut.

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