After Roki Sasaki turned them down, the Philadelphia Phillies have gone to get another pitcher.
The Phillies approached Sasaki and his reps about meeting with the 23-year-old phenom known as “The Monster of the Reiwa Era.” However, Sasaki never granted the franchise’s interview request.
He met with numerous teams, including the Phillies’ rival New York Mets, but Sasaki ultimately chose the Los Angeles Dodgers.
With the Phillies still trying to add depth to their pitching staff, they sought overseas and signed a former All-Star pitcher from Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball.
The Phillies have reportedly signed Koyo Aoyagi, a three-time NPB All-Star, to a minor-league contract and will bring him to spring training as a non-roster invitee.
Aoyagi is known for his unique sidearm delivery, which suggests that if he makes the team, it would likely be as a reliever. MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki notes that Aoyagi is a ground-ball pitcher with a four-pitch arsenal, including an 87-91 mph fastball, a sweeping slider, a split-changeup, and a cutter.
Over nine seasons with the Hanshin Tigers, Aoyagi appeared in 154 games (12 of which were starts), posting a 61-47 record with a 3.08 ERA, 1.235 WHIP, and 647 strikeouts in 898⅓ innings, while walking 299 batters. He played a key role in helping the Tigers win the 2023 Japan Series, starting Game 7 and tossing 4⅔ scoreless innings.
“We like him for his uniqueness,” said Phillies assistant general manager Jorge Velandia. “You don’t see many sidearm pitchers. He’s been a warrior in Japan, both as a starter and reliever. He’s done so many different things. Just come and show us what you’ve got. That’s his mentality—he’s a warrior who wants an opportunity to pitch in the big leagues.”
If Aoyagi makes the Phillies’ roster, he would become the first Japanese player on the team since 2008 and only the third in franchise history. The Phillies have made previous attempts to sign top Japanese players, such as Sasaki, Shohei Ohtani, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but were unsuccessful.
With one bullpen spot remaining, Aoyagi will face competition to secure a place on the team for Opening Day.
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