Should the Phillies target Yoshinobu Yamamoto? | Free Agency Big Board

Free agency has officially begun, which means we can finally start staring at our phones and scrolling through X with anticipation. After the Phillies’ gut-wrenching game seven NLCS loss, everyone has ideas on how to improve the roster. From trades to free-agent acquisitions, the opinions have been plentiful.

There are many players to choose from, so a big board with a list of the more desirable options has been created. The previous player placed on the board was none other than Cy Young finalist Blake Snell. Next up is the Japanese sensation and my #1 choice, Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Finally posted on November 5th, the 25-year-old Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) superstar is the #2 free agent in this year’s class. He only trails the other Japanese superstar, Shohei Ohtani. Yamamoto has been the talk of baseball fans for the past few years and his 2023 campaign only made the talk get louder.

When you look at his NPB statistics, it’s no wonder he’s getting so much attention from every major league team. In the 164 innings Yamamoto pitched this season, he only allowed 117 hits, two home runs, and 28 walks to go with his staggering 1.21 ERA.

The future MLB starter has been very consistent in Japan and is coming to the United States following his best season.

Any concerns the Phillies should be aware of?

One minuscule risk in signing him is the fact that he hasn’t pitched in the major leagues yet. It’s not something I would worry about with him, however, because the NPB has phenomenal former and future MLB talent for him to pitch against. The list of players who have seen MLB success after playing in the NPB includes Shohei Ohtani, Ichiro Suzuki, Kodai Senga, Yu Darvish, and Seiya Suzuki.

The NPB has produced some incredible talent throughout the years and is sure to continue producing more. The 2022 World Baseball Classic champion would make the Phillies’ rotation lethal and is sure to be a big contributor in getting this team a parade down Broad Street. One thing to watch out for when discussing pitchers coming to Philadelphia is how many innings they typically pitch in a season.