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Phillies rumore...

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THE JAWN STORE

It's worth noting that the Phillies were heavily involved in trying to bring Yoshinobu Yamamoto to the team last offseason, reportedly offering him a significant contract that would have been very costly.

However, Sasaki, who is arguably just as talented, would come at a fraction of the price compared to what Yamamoto would have commanded.

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There is a clear case for Dave Dombrowski and the front office to actively pursue the 23-year-old phenom, who has already showcased remarkable skills during his young career, including a 12-inning, 21-strikeout, 194-pitch complete game in high school and a 19-strikeout perfect game for Lotte two seasons ago.

Given the financial considerations that will shape Philadelphia's offseason strategy, acquiring a top-tier talent like Sasaki for a relatively low cost is an opportunity that should not be missed if feasible.

While the timing of Lotte's posting of their star pitcher is still uncertain, once he becomes available, the Phillies should once again be fully committed, similar to their pursuit of Yamamoto.

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There is significant breaking news that could have an impact on the Philadelphia Phillies during this offseason.

According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, Roki Sasaki, a promising Japanese pitcher, will be made available for signing by all 30 Major League teams by the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball this winter.

This development is significant for two main reasons.

Not only is a pitcher who experts consider one of the top talents globally soon heading to the United States for the upcoming season, but he is also doing so at the age of 23, making him eligible to be signed as an international free agent.

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This reduces his potential cost from potentially hundreds of millions of dollars to likely less than $10 million since he can only agree to a minor league contract.

For the Phillies, this represents a major opportunity.

While they have been looking at outfield support and bullpen options, there are reports that they are still actively pursuing a trade for Garrett Crochet to strengthen their starting rotation.

If Philadelphia indeed aims to add another starting pitcher, they could secure Sasaki without giving up any assets by signing him as part of their international roster this winter.