Yoshida is a star outfielder for the Orix Buffaloes in Japan. Is he any good? Uh, yeah.
The 29-year-old has played seven seasons in Japan with a career slash line of .326/.419/.528. He obviously makes contact and has never struck out more than 74 times in a season. It's usually in the 40s. He's got some power, averaging around 19 HR a year.
Did I mention he wants to be a Phillie? He loves Bryce Harper. He even named his dog after Harper. And he'd be a perfect fit at CBP. There's a ton of money coming off the books after the World Series. The departure of Didi Gregorius and probable departures of Brad Hand, Kyle Gibson, and Corey Knebel frees up $38 million in salary.
But the Phillies already have plenty of outfielders, right? Hear me out. Rhys Hoskins will probably be due for a big raise (he makes $7.7 million this year), but he's just a hair above league average, way too streaky, and a defensive adventure. Move Kyle Schwarber to first and put Yoshida in left.
Moving Hoskins brings the amount of shedded salary to $45 million. Jean Segura ($15 million) is a bit pricey and he's had a nice run, but wouldn't you rather see the Phillies sign Trea Turner to play short and move Bryson Stott to second? Turner is a huge upgrade over Segura. So with roughly $60 million to play with, the Phillies can easily sign Yoshida and Turner.
As for pitching, Wheeler, Nola, and Suarez are a nice top three. Maybe see if Syndergaard would come to camp to win a job and then the other spot goes to one of the wonder arms in Triple A–Andrew Painter, Mick Abel, or Griff McGarry.
Adding Yoshida and Turner greatly improves the team. So does getting rid of Gibson. I know we're in the middle of the World Series, but it's never too early to start planning.
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