While the exact dollar amount of their final offer isn’t totally clear, it’s no secret that the Phillies were major players in the market of Yoshinobu Yamamoto two offseasons ago. Part of the appeal was obvious: The three-time defending Sawamura Award winner, now reigning World Series MVP and third-place Cy Young finisher, has so far lived up to his billing as the highest-paid pitcher-only in MLB history.
But there was another motive: It was an opportunity for the Phillies to establish themselves in the Japanese market, one that’s eluded them for years. The Phillies tried with Shu014dta Imanaga that same offseason, but the two sides were never close, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told Phillies Nation in July 2024.