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Report: Phillies “Quite Intrigued” by Teruaki Sato
By Luke Arcaini
Published:
The Phillies have never signed a player straight from Japan to a major-league contract. Dave Dombrowski seems to hope to change that over the next 21 days.
The team has expressed interest and is “quite intrigued” by Teruaki Sato, according to Matt Gelb of The Athletic. Sato, who is just 27 years old, slashed .306/.383/.609 in the NPB in 2026, taking home the triple crown with 39 home runs, 106 RBIs, and a .991 OPS across 143 games for the Hanshin Tigers.
Sato has split time throughout his career at third base and corner outfield, but teams seem to be evaluating him more for the outfield than infield. The Phillies, right now, have a need for both.
The hindrance in signing Sato, as it always is, is the process of a team getting their first Japanese player. It has been proven to be easier for west coast teams to land Japanese players, with the Dodgers landing the most to date. The Phillies have expressed interest in the Japanese market over the last few years, but haven’t been able to land a deal. They want that to change.
The Phillies need a right felder. They could also use a left fielder, if they make the decision to shop Brandon Marsh, which should absolutely be on the table. The assumption around the league is that Sato would play right field for most teams that are interested.
Dombrowski, according to Gelb’s report, has also expressed interest in Seiya Suzuki and Randy Arozarena, the two biggest outfielders in this free agent class. Both players were extended qualifying offers, so if the Phillies were to sign one of Suzuki or Arozarena, they would lose a mix of draft picks and international bonus pool money.
The lockdown is 21 days away. Sato has to sign before then. The Phillies hope that he chooses red pinstripes, but there will certainly be other teams intrigued and pushing hard for the Japanese star.
Until then, nobody really knows what the next three weeks will look like. Free agency seems like it’ll heat up over that time.
Luke Arcaini has been writing about the Phillies for 6 seasons, and is now in his 2nd year covering for Phillies down at Citizens Bank Park for Crossing Broad. Follow him on Twitter @ArcainiLuke