New York Yankees Receive Bad News on Teruaki Sato

The New York Yankees absolutely need to address their third base situation this MLB offseason, as starting Ryan McMahon in 2027 would be unacceptable.

The problem is that there aren't many viable options on the free-agent market.

Japanese star Teruaki Sato is viewed as the best potential target for the Yankees at the hot corner, but his likely high asking price coupled with the NPB's posting fee will make things difficult for New York.

On top of that, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic feels he might not even be the best way to go for the Yankees.

In a recent mailbag, Kirschner was asked about New York's chances of pursuing Sato, and Kirschner doesn't seem to believe the 27-year-old slugger is much of a fit.

"The Yankees need an upgrade at third base, as Ryan McMahon should no longer start. But I have a hard time believing they will aggressively pursue Sato," Kirschner wrote. "His MLB position isn’t settled.

"He graded out negatively at third base, and some scouts believe he’ll have to play corner outfield or first base in the majors. If he can’t play third base, the Yankees don’t really have a fit for him."

Sato has drawn comparisons to Chicago White Sox star Munetaka Murakami, who made the jump to the U.S. last winter. Sato has a high strikeout rate and features strong power from the left side, but some scouts wonder how he will translate to the majors.

Murakami faced similar questions last year, and the White Sox moved him over to first base because they didn't feel he could handle the rigors of third. He ended up slashing .207/.347/.478 with 35 home runs and 77 RBI over 553 plate appearances, but also struck out 196 times.

Murakami's 16.6 percent walk rate saved him, but there is no doubt Yankees fans would be frustrated if they saw Sato whiffing at the same frequency.

Sato slashed .306/.383/.609 with 39 homers and 106 RBI across 614 trips to the dish for the Hanshin Tigers in 2026, but he posted his second straight campaign with over 160 punchouts.

That number seems likely to increase on the big-league level, and it's also fair to assume that his contact and power numbers won't be quite as impressive.

All of that said, New York absolutely needs to find a solution at the hot corner, and there really is no one else that appealing on the open market.

The Yanks could always try and swing a trade, but whether or not there will actually be anyone worthwhile available on the trade front (like Rafael Devers, for example) remains to be seen.