Bringing in players directly from Japan has not been the Phillies’ M.O. when it comes to roster construction. Though they are trying harder to be more a presence in Asia, the players from Japan that have played in Philadelphia have been acquired through other means. One could argue that trading for Tadahito Iguchi saved the Phillies from missing the playoffs in 2007 when Chase Utley went down to injury. So Taguchi had mostly a forgettable tenure here, but he word #99! That’s always fun.
Rumors swirled this offseason that the team was going to make their first foray into the posting waters when Yoshinobu Yamamoto was made available, but signing Aaron Nola, along with rumors of Yamamoto receiving close to $250 million, has likely squashed that dream for good.