The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox are already the biggest of rivals. So why not have a battle even in the offseason?
That’s what might be brewing in the free agency of Japanese slugger Teruaki Sato, who is slated to come to MLB for the 2027 season.
Sato is being posted by his NPB team, the Hanshin Tigers, and will have teams involved in a bidding war that should conclude before MLB goes into a lockout on Dec. 1.
So not only could Sato demand a ton of attention — it’ll be coming sooner rather than later.
The Yankees and Red Sox both seem likely to be involved, with one analyst in particular seeing them as the two biggest players in this race.
Yankees vs. Red Sox for Teruaki Sato
The Athletic’s Jim Bowden wrote in a new article on Tuesday that the Yankees and the Red Sox are the two best fits for Sato.
In general, even if it’s not those teams, Bowden expects it to be the big-market clubs making the hardest push to sign Sato.
“I think he stays at third base initially and would be a perfect fit for teams like the Phillies, Red Sox, Angels and Yankees, which leads me to believe this will end up being a big-market bidding war,” Bowden writes.
The Yankees in particular could certainly use an upgrade at third base after a couple of seasons of trying to piece things together while spending a lot of time hoping that Ryan McMahon could be the answer that he hasn’t been.
Teruaki Sato Contract Prediction
Bowden goes on to predict that Sato will sign a five-year deal for $180 million. That’s $36 million per year, which would be a remarkable payday for a player who has yet to play in MLB.
Still, Sato has made the case that he’s worth it, and if the big-market clubs are all bidding, watch out.
“Sato is set to be the first Japanese position player since Hideki Matsui 23 years ago to win the MVP Award in the Nippon Professional Baseball league and then join an MLB team the next season,” Bowden writes. “Sato won the league’s Triple Crown this year, slashing .306/.383/.609 with 40 doubles, 39 homers and 106 RBIs.”
The Yankees had success with Hideki Matsui in a similar scenario, of course, and will be hoping to do the same with Sato.
There’ll also be an extra push to get him signed before the lockout — which will happen because of his 30-day posting window, but also because the team that gets him has one less thing to worry about when the lockout is over. Not every player will sign before Dec. 1, but one team could rest secure knowing they got Sato.
It could be the Yankees. It could be the Red Sox. And when both are involved, things get quite interesting in a hurry.
Yankees to Battle Red Sox for $180 Million Japanese Star