The Philadelphia Phillies have officially made Japanese superstar pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto an offer

According to Matt Gelb from The Athletic, the Philadelphia Phillies have officially made an offer to Japanese superstar pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto. 

Earlier this week, it was reported that Bryce Harper hopped on a FaceTime call with Yamamoto in effort to lure him to Philadelphia. 

Bryce Harper spoke with Yoshinobu Yamamoto on FaceTime

As we reported on @MLBNetwork this morning:

Bryce Harper, 2-time NL MVP, spoke with Yoshinobu Yamamoto over FaceTime as part of the Phillies' presentation to him. @MLB

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 18, 2023

The Phillies have been linked to Yamamoto for quite some time. 

Last month, it was reported by MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki and the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Alex Coffey that the Phillies were still in the hunt to land Yamamoto and were being helped by Bryce Harper in the recruitment process. 

Harper was participating in the team’s recruitment of Yamamoto which included creating a cameo in a promotional video made for Yamamoto’s camp.

So what’s next? The Phillies’ $172 million commitment to Nola does not mean they will stop trying to upgrade. Sources said they still have plans to pursue Yamamoto, who is a two-time Pacific League MVP and three-time Sawamura Award winner (Japan’s Cy Young). Word is that Phillies superstar Bryce Harper was involved in making a pitch to Yamamoto’s camp, which included a sizzle reel.

The Phillies, aided by top recruiter Bryce Harper are actively pursuing Yoshinobu Yamamoto >>

The Phillies scouted Yamamoto multiple times throughout last season and all things considered, he’s worth every penny of the hype he’s been receiving in the early stages of free agency. At just 25 years old, Yamamoto pitched to a 1.21 ERA over 23 starts for the Orix Buffaloes in 2023.

Across seven seasons in NPB, Yamamoto is 75-30 with a 1.72 ERA. That type of productivity in the Japan league translates to a reported $200 plus million contract in Major League Baseball. 

The Phillies Starting Rotation with Yoshinobu Yamamoto

• Zack Wheeler 
• Yoshinobu Yamamoto
• Aaron Nola 
• Ranger Suarez 
• Taijuan Walker / Cristopher Sanchez 
• Mick Abel / Griff McGarry / Andrew Painter (2025)

Yamamoto was posted by the NPL Orix Buffaloes in late November. From there, he has 45 days to sign with an MLB club or return to play another season in Nippon Professional Baseball. Deadline is January 4, 2024. 

Hang Tight…There are SEVEN other teams looking to land Yamamoto

We’ll see how it plays out. The major update from Matt Gelb is the fact that the Phillies have now made an official offer. There’s still 7 other teams in the hunt to land Yamamoto.

The Dodgers already rolled out the red carpet with Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman in attendance to meet Yamamoto while Steve Cohen had him stop over for dinner on a trip to New York City to meet with the Mets and Yankees. 

Now’s not the time to give up hope.

According to reports, Yoshi wants to pitch on the “biggest stage in baseball” and there’s no better place to do that than in South Philadelphia in October. 

One year ago today Bryce Harper delivered Bedlam at The Bank. 😤#RedOctober | #WorldSeries pic.twitter.com/qaAsjPQV7W

— The Liberty Line (@LibertyLinePHL) October 23, 2023

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