Philadelphia Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies are going all-in on their pursuit of Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported star Bryce Harper pitched Yamamoto on coming to Philadelphia via FaceTime during his meeting with the Phillies.

Harper became perhaps the biggest free-agent signing in Philadelphia sports history when he inked a 13-year deal with the Phillies in 2019.

Yamamoto is the most sought-after free agent remaining on the market and is set to sign a deal that will likely break records for a Japanese import. The New York Yankees and New York Mets have been considered favorites in the process, with the Los Angeles Dodgers also being a potential factor.

Since his arrival, Harper has embraced Philadelphia and become one of the city's most popular athletes.

"I love this place," Harper told reporters in October. "There's nothing like coming into [Citizens Bank Park] and playing in front of these fans. Blue-collar mentality, tough, fighting every single day. I get chills, man. I get so fired up… I signed here for a reason, to do everything I could to bring back a trophy to this town, to [owner John Middleton], to this organization."

Yamamoto is the most-hyped Japanese player to be posted since Shohei Ohtani. He's a 25-year-old flamethrower who regularly tops 95mph with his fastball and has won the Japanese Triple Crown each of the last three seasons. It's expected a team will have to top $300 million in total compensation, including the posting fee to the Orix Buffaloes, to land Yamamoto.

That would be by far the largest ever guarantee given to a player yet to play in an MLB game.

The Yankees' nine-year, $324 million contract with Gerrit Cole is the largest in league history ever given to a player who only pitches. Shohei Ohtani, who pitches and hits, surpassed that number with his record-setting $700 million deal with the Dodgers this offseason.

The Phillies have been aggressive in free agency in recent years, with shortstop Trea Turner inking an 11-year, $300 million deal last offseason and starting pitcher Aaron Nola re-signing on a seven-year, $172 million pact earlier this offseason.

Free-agent first baseman Rhys Hoskins appears to have no shortage of suitors this winter.

Hoskins is drawing interest from the Seattle Mariners amid rumors linking him to the Chicago Cubs, according to MLB Network's Jon Morosi.

Morosi reported on Dec. 5 that the Cubs and Hoskins were in contact on a possible contract and that both one-year and multiyear agreements had been discussed.

After finishing the 2023 season with an 88-74 record, the Mariners are looking for another power bat to add to a lineup highlighted by Julio Rodríguez and J.P. Crawford. Hoskins would be an upgrade over Ty France at first base in terms of power at the plate.

While Hoskins missed the 2023 season after tearing his ACL in spring training, the 30-year-old put together a solid 2022 campaign with the Philadelphia Phillies, with whom he spent the first six years of his career.

Hoskins slashed .246/.332/.462 with 30 home runs and 79 RBI in 156 games with the Phillies in 2022, helping the team finish third in the National League East and make a run to the World Series.

The Phillies drafted Hoskins in 2014 and he made his MLB debut in 2017, finishing fourth in NL Rookie of the Year voting. In 667 games across six seasons in Philadelphia, he hit .242 with 148 home runs and 405 RBI.

Philadelphia opted to move on from Hoskins this winter after they decided to move Bryce Harper to first base full-time in 2024. Harper returned from Tommy John surgery in 2023 and moved from the outfield to first base, making a strong impression at the position.

"We think he projects to be an outstanding first baseman," Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told reporters last month. "He's willing to do whatever for the organization, and we just think for us, it makes us a better club now and as we go forward.

"It gives us a really good, athletic infield that can be together for years."

With Harper at first base, the Phillies will likely rotate Brandon Marsh, Cristian Pache, Johan Rojas and Kyle Schwarber in the outfield next season.

Joc Pederson's Instagram post is apparently not an indication he has agreed to a deal with the Philadelphia Phillies.

The two-time All-Star posted a picture of himself with the Phillie Phanatic that's captioned, "It's always sunny in Philadelphia."

Despite this strong indication something might be happening, Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported a Phillies source said they haven't signed Pederson.

MLB.com's Todd Zolecki noted the Phillies and Pederson's camp haven't even talked this offseason.

The speculation about Pederson and Philadelphia didn't make much sense from a roster-construction standpoint. Phillies president Dave Dombrowski has said they won't attempt to bring back Rhys Hoskins, in part because they already have too many players for the outfield, first base and DH spot.

Bryce Harper is going to be the full-time first baseman in 2024 after learning the position last season when he returned from Tommy John surgery. Kyle Schwarber will likely be the primary DH, with Nick Castellanos and Brandon Marsh playing in the outfield corners.

Pederson does have experience playing center field, but it's probably not a viable spot for him at this stage of his career. Plus, Johan Rojas is coming off a good rookie season with a .302/.340/.430 slash line in 59 games. He had the fourth-best UZR per 150 games played among all center fielders in 2023.

After retaining Aaron Nola early in free agency by giving him a seven-year, $172 million contract, the Phillies have other areas they need to worry about besides outfield depth. They could still use another back-end starter and the bullpen is a big question mark.

Pederson hit .235/.348/.416 with 15 homers in 121 games with the San Francisco Giants last season. He will be a valuable addition to a team looking for a low-cost alternative to some of the top-tier position players, but the Phillies don't make sense for either side.

The Philadelphia Phillies announced on Monday that manager Rob Thomson has signed a contract extension keeping him with the club through the 2025 season.

The team also announced that Dustin Lind and Rafael Peña were hired as assistant hitting coaches for Thomson's MLB coaching staff.

Thomson, 60, took over as the team's interim manager in June 2022 after Joe Girardi was fired and promptly led the team to a 65-46 record down the stretch, a postseason berth as an NL Wild Card and ultimately a trip to the World Series.

The Phillies appointed him the full-time manager in Oct. 2022, signing him to a two-year deal.

"I think all of us put it in [president of baseball operations David Dombrowski's] ear a little bit. We respect Thomson so much, what he's done for us. He loves this game and works hard and understands what his players need," superstar Bryce Harper said at the time. "He really deserves it. I'm super happy for him."

Thomson lived up to the appointment in his first full season as Phillies manager, leading the team to a 90-72 record and a berth in the NLCS. While the season ultimately ended in disappointment for the Phillies, losing in Game 7 to the upstart Arizona Diamondbacks, the team has remained a contender under Thomson's watch.

He isn't without some question marks. His reluctance to go with a steady closer—instead often opting to go with his best relievers in high-leverage situations earlier in games, especially in the postseason—has bitten him at times. And some folks in Philadelphia questioned his decision to never adjust the lineup construction in the NLCS despite a number of the team's hitters struggling.

But in general, the Phillies have been one of the top teams in baseball since Thomson took over. A contract extension, even if only by one season, felt like a formality after another successful year.

The Philadelphia Phillies seemingly don't have to worry about Bryce Harper's contract for years to come considering he is signed through the 2031 campaign, but agent Scott Boras apparently has other ideas.

USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported Boras wants a contract extension for his client. What's more, Nightengale noted "the Phillies are willing to talk."

There is something to be said about keeping an agent as high-profile as Boras happy with decisions like this. Remaining in his favor could help Philadelphia sign notable free agents he represents in the future.

And that future would surely include Harper if the team gives him a contract extension.

Harper is one of the best players in the league and likely has a number of productive years remaining considering he will be 31 throughout the 2024 campaign. He slashed .293/.401/.499 with 21 home runs and 72 RBI in 126 regular season games in 2023 and helped lead the Phillies to the National League Championship Series.

He also helped lead them to the 2022 World Series.

If there is a contract extension given his current situation, Harper will have plenty of opportunities to lead the Phillies to more postseason success.

Japanese sensation Yoshinobu Yamamoto is officially free to begin his MLB career.

Per Joel Sherman of the New York Post, Yamamoto has been posted by the Orix Buffaloes, and his window for negotiations will open at 8 a.m. ET on Tuesday. Teams have until 5 p.m. ET on Jan. 4 to agree to terms with the coveted pitcher.

Yamamoto is expected to be one of the most sought-after pitchers on the open market after his stellar career with the Buffaloes, which began in 2017. He has a career record of 70-29 and went 16-6 with a 1.21 ERA and 169 strikeouts in 164 innings in 2023. Per ESPN's Buster Olney, "His trademark is his wide assortment of breaking pitches, excellent command and a fastball in the mid-90s."

The 25-year-old will have no shortage of suitors this winter. Jon Heyman of the New York Post recently reported that the New York Yankees and New York Mets are among the teams that will be in "hot pursuit" of Yamamoto. The Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston Astros are all believed to be seeking a No. 1 starter, and Yamamoto would fit that role.

The Philadelphia Phillies made the first major move of the offseason by re-signing veteran starter Aaron Nola to a seven-year, $172 million contract on Sunday. However, Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer later reported that the Phillies "are still in the market for" Yamamoto and a source said they "plan to be 'pretty aggressive' in pursuing" the right-handed phenom.

Heyman noted that there's a rumor that Yamamoto "may prefer the West Coast," so it could be tough for teams like the Phillies, Yankees or Mets to convince him to sign with them. Regardless, Yamamoto's next landing spot will be one of the most intriguing storylines of the offseason.

The Philadelphia Phillies managed to retain starting pitcher Aaron Nola with a seven-year contract worth a reported $172 million on Sunday, and they reportedly have another splashy move in mind that would bolster their rotation.

According to Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Phillies "are still in the market for" coveted Japanese right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, whose free agency window is expected to open this week.

"Nola was their top priority, but now that he has been signed, the Phillies will look to further bolster their pitching depth. That could mean signing Yamamoto, and signing a depth piece as well, like a multi-inning reliever or sixth/seventh starter," Coffey stated, adding that a source said the Phillies "plan to be 'pretty aggressive' in pursuing [Yamamoto], but if they don't settle on the right price, they won't push for a deal."

Yamamoto is expected to be one of the most sought-after starting pitchers on the open market this winter following his stellar career for the Orix Buffaloes in Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The 25-year-old has a career record of 70-29 and went 16-6 this season with a 1.21 ERA and 169 strikeouts in 164 innings of work. Coffey noted that if he doesn't land with the Phillies, "it's unlikely that they will add another starter of his caliber."

Philadelphia is hoping to improve a pitching staff that had a collective ERA of 4.02 last season. Nola wasn't his usual dominant self, posting a 12-9 record, a 4.46 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP. It was just the third time finishing with an ERA over 4.00 for the nine-year veteran.

Adding Yamamoto would surely bolster the depth around Nola and give the Phillies a strong chance to make another deep playoff run next year.

The Philadelphia Phillies have locked up starting pitcher Aaron Nola for the foreseeable future, agreeing with him to a seven-year, $172 million contract on Sunday, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

With this deal, the Phillies now have their entire 2023 starting rotation tied down for at least one more season. Re-signing Nola presumably concludes Philly's business as it relates to the rotation as well with that much continuity.

2024 Philadelphia Phillies Projected Starting Rotation

• Zack Wheeler 
• Aaron Nola 
• Taijuan Walker 
• Ranger Suárez 
• Cristopher Sánchez

The full breakdown of Nola's contract is unclear. Were it to be split evenly over the seven seasons, his $24.6 million salary would take the Phillies' payroll to an estimated $234.9 million, per Spotrac. That's a little lower than where the finished 2023 ($245.4 million).

Nola made $16 million on a club option in the final year of his deal and became a free agent at the end of the 2023 season.

The 30-year-old told The Athletic's Matt Gelb in February that his representatives were engaged with the Phillies in talks for a possible extension. However, team president Dave Dombroski told reporters in March that the two sides had broken off contract extension talks and hoped to begin discussions again after the end of the 2023 campaign.

While that may have been a risky move, Philadelphia fortunately avoided losing its top pitcher to the open market.

The ace of the Phillies for the past six years, Nola has started every Opening Day game for the team since 2018. He's struggled during the 2023 season with a 12-9 record, a 4.46 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP. It's just the third time in his nine-year career that he has an ERA over 4.00.

Nola's disappointing showing came after he enjoyed a strong campaign in 2022 in which he finished fourth in NL Cy Young Award voting after making 32 starts and pitching 205.0 innings while finishing with a 3.25 ERA, a 0.96 WHIP and 235 strikeouts. He helped power the Phillies to a surprising run to the World Series that season, though the team fell to the Houston Astros in six games.

By retaining Nola for the next seven years, Philadelphia is keeping a reliable starter for the top of the rotation. The Phillies finished with a 90-72 record this past season and a second straight NLCS appearance in the playoffs.

Nola will look for a better showing in 2024 when he takes the mound for Philadelphia.