The Phillies have made no secret of their desire to land the organization’s first Japanese-born star, but as of yet that hasn’t come to pass. The club made a significant offer to generational right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto two years ago and was heavily linked to Tatsuya Imai, the latest Japanese ace to come stateside, before he signed with the Houston Astros. Many fans were dejected to hear that Imai wouldn’t don Phillies’ pinstripes in 2026, but his unique contract and the subtraction of a beleaguered Phillies starting pitcher could lead to another pursuit next winter.
President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has made a habit of splashy free agent additions during his tenure with the Phillies, and a few of them have been bigtime misses.