The New York Yankees are looking into the future. Apparently, they’re on the sweepstakes to land third baseman Teruaki Sato next season. This could bolster the infield of the Bronx Bombers, but also help a lot on offense. However, the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers are also looking into him.
Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Sato is the top hitter in the NPB by OPS (1.026) and the Yankees are very interested in him. Sato is highly expected to try his luck in the MLB after the 2026 season and is 27 years old. He is posting a line of .317 AVG | .404 OBP | .622 SLG% | 205 wRC+ right now.
Sato is not an elite prospect. He is a superstar and a finished product waiting to prove his worth in the Majors. Right now, big markets are waiting on him as the two Big Apple teams and Los Angeles are monitoring him.
Are the NY Mets, Dodgers competition for Yankees?
The New York Mets are a money-loaded team with no success whatsoever. They see Sato as one of the guys who could help them turn their fortunes. The Yankees should have leverage over their city rivals to land Sato.
However, the Dodgers are the end-all, be-all of the MLB. Also, they have a lot of Japanese superstars like Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Roki Sasaki that could help sway Sato’s desire.
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Who would Sato replace?
If the New York Yankees were to sign the Japanese infielder/slugger, Sato would be positioned to replace Ryan McMahon at third base or provide an option at other corner infield and designated hitter spots.
A potential acquisition of Sato could also impact corner outfield or bench depth depending on how the Yankees structure their alignment. What is for sure, the team that lands Sato will get an upgrade.
