Teruaki Sato just won the Central League Triple Crown — .306/.383/.609, 39 home runs and 106 RBI in 143 games — and he’s the biggest name on the 2026-27 international market. But veteran Yankees reporter Joel Sherman, speaking on the Pinstripe Post podcast on October 13, threw cold water on New York’s chances with a specific concern: Sato’s defense at third base could be the thing that knocks the Yankees out of the running.
Over a Decade Without Signing a Japanese Player — and Two Straight Losses to the Dodgers
The last time the Yankees signed a player directly out of Japan was Masahiro Tanaka in 2014. Since then, Los Angeles has owned that market. Yoshinobu Yamamoto signed with the Dodgers last winter. Roki Sasaki did the same this year. Two straight offseasons, two priorities stolen by the same rival.
Sherman noted that the Yankees have spent the last six to twelve months actively working to rebuild their relationships and scouting footprint in Japan — a quiet acknowledgment that something had gone wrong. That’s not an official team announcement; it’s an observation from one of the reporters who covers this franchise most closely. But the timing says plenty. Sato is the most compelling Japanese position player to hit the market since Ohtani, and the Hanshin Tigers‘ posting is expected in November 2026.
The Triple Crown Doesn’t Erase 43 Errors and -5 DRS
The concern Sherman puts on the table is backed by real numbers. Sato won the Central League Gold Glove in 2025, but that award doesn’t translate to MLB defensive standards. Between 2023 and 2024, he committed 43 errors at third base — the worst mark in the NPB during that stretch. In 2026, he’s sitting at -5 DRS. Most big-league scouts don’t see him as a sustainable third baseman at the MLB level; the majority project him eventually moving to first base, the same path Munetaka Murakami took after joining the White Sox.
That creates a direct roster puzzle for New York. The Yankees currently have Ryan McMahon at third and Ben Rice at first. If Sato arrives and can’t hold down the hot corner, the team would need to shuffle pieces it already considers settled — and that’s both a baseball problem and a budget problem.
Add to that a 26.7% strikeout rate in 2026 — 164 strikeouts in 614 plate appearances — compared to the MLB average of around 22%, and the picture gets more complicated. His .991 OPS and 39 home runs are absolutely real. But big-league pitching, with its velocity and arsenal depth, will be a different test than anything he’s faced in Japan.
If the Posting Comes in November, the Yankees Have 45 Days to Decide
Sato can’t simply choose to come to MLB — the Hanshin Tigers have to authorize his posting, and that decision belongs entirely to the club. Reports point to November 2026 as the most likely window. Once posted, Sato would have a 45-day negotiating period with any interested MLB team.
MLB Trade Rumors ranks Sato as the second-best free agent on the 2026-27 market, with nine-figure contract potential. Jon Heyman of the New York Post has already linked the Mets, Yankees, Dodgers, and Phillies to Sato — though none of those mentions involve concrete offers or active negotiations. He hasn’t even been posted yet.
For historical context: Sato became just the ninth player in NPB history to win the Triple Crown, and only the second Tiger to do it after Randy Bass.
Sherman isn’t saying the Yankees are walking away. He’s saying the defense is a deterrent. In a market where the Dodgers are again a direct competitor and the Mets are also at the table, that deterrent might be enough for another franchise to land the best Japanese hitter available in years.
