Phillies Japanese Scouting Report Will Fire Fans Up
The Philadelphia Phillies organization has done a lot right over the past few years, but there have also been times when the organization hasn't done what's needed. On certain fronts, the Phillies need to get better, and one of them is in the international scouting department. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has said a few times that improving internationally is one of his biggest priorities, but we've yet to see it.
Dombrowski will have to continue doing what's needed on all fronts to ensure his team has a chance to land players from Japan and other countries, as it's crucial for the Phillies to be what they're aiming to be. According to the latest from The Athletic, there are some promising signs about the Phillies potentially changing things around. The Athletic recently reported that the Phillies sent multiple scouts to Japan last week to watch some of the top international prospects in the country.
“I think it’s notable the Phillies sent a robust contingent last week to scout Japan, led by general manager Preston Mattingly, according to Sports Nippon. One of their main targets: Teruaki Sato, a 27-year-old third baseman/right fielder who is expected to be posted by the Hanshin Tigers this offseason. “Sato bats left-handed, which does not make him the ideal fit, but positionally he is said to handle two spots on the field where the Phillies will ostensibly have openings.
(Bohm and Adolis García will be free agents at season’s end. ) The Phillies have not concealed their desire to enter the Japanese market. They were lukewarm on last year’s class — Tatsuya Imai, Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto.
Murakami, who has outperformed the entire industry’s expectations, was never a fit because the Phillies have a designated hitter and first baseman,” Matt Gelb of The Athletic wrote . Signing players from Japan, specifically, is no easy task for teams like the Phillies. The unfortunate part of the Phillies being in Philadelphia is that it's extremely far from Japan.