The big news in the MLB Friday – not shocking at all, of course – is that the Los Angeles Dodgers got even better. The Dodgers signed Roki Sasaki, described in various reports as a “23-year-old phenom” and “one of the best pitching prospects in the world.” To get there, though, the Dodgers apparently got a dose of help from the Phillies. L.A. traded a bundle of international pool bonus money, reported to be in the range of $750,000 to $1 million, to pump up the signing incentive for Sasaki. Since he’s under 25, he’s coming over as part of the international signing class rather than an unrestricted free agent, so money had to be allocated there. The Dodgers, who are reportedly giving Sasaki some $6.5 million in total signing bonus, won that sweepstakes from other finalists San Diego and Toronto. The Phillies, playing a part in pumping up the Dodgers’ pool, thus acquired outfield prospect Dylan Campbell in return. A product of the University of Texas, he batted .251 with 10 home runs and 53 RBIs for the High-A Great Lakes Loons. Campbell was a 136th overall draft pick of the Dodgers in 2023. In other Phils signing news, they got a Japanese pitcher of their own, though a little older than Sasaki. That’s 31-year-old Koyo Aoyagi, a veteran of nine seasons in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball League. He’s a three-time All-Star (2019, 2021-22) with the Hanshin Tigers. Aoyagi has run up a record of 61-47 with a 3.08 ERA, 647 strikeouts and six complete games in 154 total games for the Tigers. He joins the Phillies under a minor league contract and spring training invite.