Munetaka Murakami might have put Yankees pursuit of Teruaki Sato out of reach (and that's a good thing)

Ryan McMahon has become a huge problem for the New York Yankees, but the free-agent market is painfully thin when it comes to exciting solutions. The only one that truly makes your hair stand on end is Japanese superstar Teruaki Sato, whose NPB club, the Hanshin Tigers, has confirmed that they will post him this offseason.

At face value, Sato is an exciting player. Just 27 years old, he won the Central League Triple Crown this year, slashing .306/.383/.609 with 39 homers. In 2025, he hit exactly 40 homers while posting a .277/.345/.579 line. A third baseman by trade, he also has considerable experience in right field, which could help a certain supersized outfielder spend more time at DH in 2027 if Sato doesn't claim the hot corner full time. On top of that, he hits left-handed, which would seemingly amplify his incredible power in Yankee Stadium.

The news, as reported by Joel Sherman, that New York is looking to dump McMahon's salary this winter came with the bittersweet twist that the club will not pursue Sato. The organization has concerns about his ability to handle third base defensively, per the veteran NY Post writer.

Still, there are other reports that the Yankees have scouted Sato several times this season, including recently, so perhaps not all hope is lost. It should be noted that while Sato has big-time power, similar to Chicago White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami, he also has many of the same red flags that Murakami presented when he was courting MLB clubs last offseason.

Strikeouts, in particular, jump to the forefront. Murakami missed some time due to injury in 2025, but his last fully healthy NPB season in 2024 saw him strike out 180 times. Sato was only slightly better, registering 164 Ks this season. Sato posted some sizzling exit velocities, but his 35.7% chase rate and 33.8% whiff rate are major concerns.

Munetaka Murakami's relative success could drive Teruaki Sato's price tag to an uncomfortable place for the Yankees

At the start of last offseason, contract projections were sky-high for Murakami despite the very real strikeout and contact concerns, with some positing that he'd exceed $150 million over seven years. In the end, the worry that he'd struggle even more with the increased velocity he'd face in MLB outweighed the visions of homers flying over outfield walls, and Murakami was forced to settle for a two-year, $37 million contract.

A short-term deal like that would likely get the Yankees to throw caution to the wind. $17 million per season is only $1 million more than McMahon is making, and if there's a quick out, it could be worth a roll of the dice.

However, in addition to becoming well-known for hysterical celebratory interviews, Murakami has been a factor in the AL Rookie of the Year race for much of the season. That's largely because he proved his power plays in the bigs, crushing 35 homers this year over just 127 games and helping lead the White Sox to an incredible turnaround. The Southsiders somehow made the playoffs (and nearly advanced to the ALCS) following a 102-loss season in 2025.

Given that success, teams that missed out on Murakami a year ago might be more willing to pry open the checkbook to land this year's model, Sato. There's still significant downside, though.

Strikeouts were a major problem for Murakami, who went down via the K 35.4% of the time. It limited him to just a .207 batting average. If Sato were to follow in those footsteps, it would be problematic, especially with Yankees fans lusting for more contact in the lineup after an embarrassing ALDS defeat in which New York hitters collectively batted .130.

Additionally, if the defense is as bad as some scouts reportedly believe it to be, Sato winds up as a first baseman and DH in the majors. For some teams, that's an acceptable outcome, but for the Yankees, who already have two slugging left-handed-hitting first basemen in Ben Rice and Luis Garcia Jr., it's overkill.

At the end of the day, we don't believe in selling out entirely for contact, but we also don't co-sign acquiring a hitter who is going to struggle to crack the Mendoza line while adding to a positional glut. For that reason, the crazier the bidding gets for Sato, the more likely it is that the Yankees bow out. Given the club's circumstances, turning the focus elsewhere would be a wise decision.

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