The Philadelphia Phillies initially made the biggest move of the offseason. After signing Aaron Nola to a seven-year deal, their offseason seemed done at the time. Given the World Series roster and huge payroll, there wasn’t much that the Phillies needed.

Dave Dombrowski, however, could have other plans. He’s always looking for ways to upgrade his roster and that’s not any different this offseason.

Mike Petriello of MLB.com recognized the signing of Nola, indicating that this deal could keep him in Philadelphia for the rest of his career.

“The Phillies didn’t take any chances when Aaron Nola reached free agency, re-signing him to a seven-year deal that makes it possible that he’ll spend his entire career in Philadelphia.”

What Petriello adds, however, is more important, especially with free agent Yoshinobu Yamamoto being an option to add to the club.

“But quickly looming behind Nola is the fact that Zack Wheeler is entering the final year of his own contract, which makes his status an ongoing topic of discussion for the upcoming season. Signing Yamamoto would give the Phils a three-headed ace-like situation that might push them ahead of Atlanta as the favorites to take the East in 2024, and it would provide insurance against not only Wheeler’s potential departure, but also lessen the pressure somewhat on the talented prospect trio of Mick Abel, Andrew Painter and Griff McGarry.”

Petriello ranked the Phillies as a team that could use the services of the Japanese star. His reasoning is valid, considering this is a World Series team. Abel, Painter, and McGarry could all be stars in the big leagues, but adding someone like Yamamoto, who has big-league experience, could be in their best interest.