The Phillies have added right-handed pitcher Koyo Aoyagi as an additional spring training nonroster invitee, the team announced Friday.
Aoyagi, 31, spent nine seasons in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, where he posted a 3.08 ERA over 898⅓ innings. The Phillies have not had a Japanese player since 2008 and have bolstered their activity in the region under president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski. They pursued Yoshinobu Yamamoto in December 2023 — the righty ultimately signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers — and also expressed interest in Roki Sasaki. The 23-year-old right-hander announced Friday on Instagram that he signed with the Dodgers.
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Aoyagi, who has a sidearm delivery, was a three time All-Star for NPB’s Hanshin Tigers, most recently in 2022. He also helped Japan win a gold medal at the 2020 Olympic Games. In 2024, Aoyagi put up a 3.69 ERA in 12 games. Aoyagi’s addition puts the Phillies’ total nonroster spring training invites at 24.
The Phillies also acquired minor league outfielder Dylan Campbell from the Dodgers on Friday in exchange for international bonus pool space. Campbell, 22, spent the 2024 season in high-A, where he hit .251 over 115 games.