MLB insider makes curious comments about Phillies landing other Japanese pitchers

The Philadelphia Phillies came up short in their quest to sign Japanese phenom Yoshinobu Yamamoto earlier this week. The Phillies' interest in Yamamoto points to at least some indication that Dave Dombrowski and company have a reasonable interest in upgrading the rotation this offseason.

But was Yamamoto just a special case worth due diligence, or could the Phillies be actively looking for starting pitching?

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic recently wrote that the Phillies may have their eyes on other available Japanese pitchers (subscription required).

"If the Phillies fail to land Yamamoto, they could enter the mix for two other Japanese free-agent pitchers," per Rosenthal. "Left-hander Shota Imanaga and righty reliever Shintaro Fujinami, who spent last season with the A’s and Orioles. The team has had only two players from Japan: Tadahito Iguchi in 2007-08 and So Taguchi in ‘08. That number likely will increase in the future."

The 30-year-old Imanaga has had a stellar career in NPB baseball in Japan, compiling a career record of 64 wins and 50 losses pitching for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars. Imanaga, a left-handed pitcher, became a name to watch when he started the deciding game of the World Baseball Classic in a win against the United States.

The market for Imanaga's services has been lukewarm so far, but being five years older than Yamamoto and being an unknown commodity on this side of the world has probably contributed to some hesitation from interested teams. The Giants, Mets, and Yankees are clubs all reported to have some interest

Another name in Rosenthal's report is probably a little more familiar to stateside baseball fans. Shintaro Fujinami made his major league debut last season for the Oakland Athletics and was mostly ineffective pitching for the lowly A's. His stat line over 34 appearances (seven starts) was the stuff of nightmares with a record of 5-8 and an ERA of 8.57.

A July trade to the Baltimore Orioles was a little more promising, as Fujinami finished 2023 with a record of 2-0, an ERA of 4.85, and two saves all coming out of the O's bullpen. The moderate improvement of Fujinami was not enough to convince the Orioles to tender him a contract, and he became a free agent in October.

Should the Phillies follow the trend of signing Japanese players?

The Phillies' disappointing exit in the 2023 NLCS at the hands of the Arizona Diamondbacks exposed some glaring weaknesses for a team going into year three of a competitive window. If the Phillies hope to get back to the World Series in 2024, signing or trading for a closer, finding a right-handed bat for the outfield, and adding another front-line starting pitcher are needs the team must address.

That brings us back to Rosenthal's report. His statement that the Phillies adding Japanese-born players "likely will increase in the future" is promising for future offseasons, but should that apply now? That answer is no.

Baseball, like all professional sports, follows industry trends, and the latest round of interest in Japanese talent is undeniably tied to the once-in-a-generation talent that is Shohei Ohtani. What organization wouldn't want to have new marketing opportunities in the Far East if they hit on landing talents like Ohtani and Yamamoto?

But history has shown that for every Ichiro Suzuki and Hideki Matsui we have witnessed the unremarkable MLB careers of Kosuke Fukudome and Kazuo Matsui. What type of player a team ultimately lands on is left to chance. Is that the type of chance the Phillies should take?

The Phillies would be better off signing known commodities like Blake Snell or Jordan Montgomery if they want to make a big splash this offseason and re-establish themselves as one of the top teams to beat in the National League in 2024. Venturing into the unknown with players like Imanaga is not a risk the Phillies should take if it's just for the sake of following a trend.

More Philadelphia Phillies news and analysis