The Philadelphia Phillies are looking to add talent in any way, shape, or form this offseason. While their team is loaded with as much talent as almost any other team in the league, they fell flat on their face when October came around.
One place the Phillies will definitely look to upgrade is in the starting rotation over Taijuan Walker. Walker posted a 7.10 ERA in 19 games last season for the Phillies.
While options like Garrett Crochet and Max Fried are solid options, the best player for the Phillies to snag has never played in MLB before. It's international free agent Roki Sasaki.
FanSided's Christopher Kline has also urged the Phillies to sign Sasaki, noting him as somebody they could sign with the money they would have used on Juan Soto.
"With only four years of pro experience under his belt overseas, Sasaki isn't eligible for the same mega-contract fellow countryman Yoshinobu Yamamoto received last winter. Instead, Sasaki will sign for the measly sum of a standard international prospect," Kline wrote. "Sasaki is expected to prioritize organizational fit over dollar signs. The Phillies would insulate Sasaki with three 2024 All-Stars in the starting rotation, not to mention a lengthy track record of developing their aces in-house (Nola, Suarez, etc.)."
There's no denying the fact that Sasaki would be a huge addition to the Phillies roster, but the reality of the situation is there are 30 teams chasing him, all with the ability to afford him.
It's tough to predict where the Japanese sensation is going to land because it's such an even playing field given that he can't sign for a major league contract just yet.
While the superstar would be a great fit for the Phillies, Philadelphia would need to make its pitch that it would be a great fit for Sasaki.
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