Philadelphia Phillies Add Japanese All-Star Pitcher to Spring Training Roster

While the Philadelphia Phillies didnt land prized Japanese right-hander Roki Sasaki, they did head to Japan for an All-Star pitcher.

The team announced they have added 31-year old pitcher Japanese pitchet Koyo Aoyagi as a Spring Training non-roster invitee.

Aoyagi is a three-time All-Star in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball league going 61-47 with six complete games, three shutouts, a 3.08 ERA (307 ER, 898.1 IP) and 647 strikeouts in 154 games over nine seasons in Japan. He won a Gold Medal with Japan at the 2020 Olympic games in Tokyo.

In 2024, the veteran went 2-3 with a 3.69 ERA (25 ER, 61.0 IP) in 12 games.

The right-hander features a a sidearm delivery and figures to battle for a spot in the Phillies bullpen or add organizational depth as a bullpen piece.

The Phillies announced earlier this week that pitchers and catchers will report to Clearwater on Feb 11 with full squad workouts beginning on Feb 17.