This Terauki Sato Situation just took a Major Turn..

There is a rule in the MLB that will decide where the best hitter in Japan plays next season and nobody is talking about it right now because on Sunday Teruyuki Sato was officially posted. He's 27, he just won the Central League Triple Crown, and Ken Rosenthal said he expects the New York Yankees to be heavily involved in trying to land the third baseman. But here's a twist. The Athletic reports that if baseball locks out its players in December, the MLB will not pause Sato's clock. That's different from 2021. When they would pause the posting clocks. So the question isn't whether the Yankees want him, it's whether they can get it done before the clock and a possible lockout. It takes the decision out of everyone's hands, and by the end of this video, you'll know the exact dates, what each one means, whether I would pay what it takes, and also What the New York Yankees are going to do. And you guys were asking if there was any updates on Sato specifically. Cyril Morley, who did ask for that. And guys, here is your video. Because if you do comment and ask for a video down below, we're going to come through on Yankees Digest. First things first, let's start with the clock. Because that's what makes this different from any other free agency deal. Sato, plus pitchers Kamara Tyra and Hiroma Ito were posted Sunday, November 1st. Teams can negotiate with them for 45 days. Count 45 days from November 1st, and you land on December 16th, which is the date the Associated Press gave at 5 p.m. Eastern time. NBC's write-up on Rosenthal's report says December 15th, but it is the 16th. And Hanshin agreed to post them on October 19th per MLB trade rumors, so it became official 13 days later. So call it December 15th, call it December 16th. He'll sign before that because of one reason. The MLB is heading towards a lockout. The collective bargaining agreement expires on December 1st, and the AP says the MLB is likely to lock the players out. If that happens, every transaction freezes. A posted player cannot sign with anybody in the MLB. They can't even talk to MLB teams. In 2021, When the lockout hit, the MLB and NPB paused the window for Seiya Suzuki. He signed with the Cubs in March 2022 for five years and $85 million. This time, per Rosenthal, there is no pause on this clock. A pretty easy way to think about it is kind of like a flight, where the gate closes at a fixed time, but the airport itself might shut down before the gate even closes. Do the math. A lockout is starting December 1st and leaves about two weeks on Sato's clock. If it runs past December 16th, he goes back to Hanshin for 2027 and likely loses money doing so. And the last lockout ran from December 2nd, 2021 to March 10th of 2022. That's more than three months. If this one lasts even half, Sato's window is all gone... So, the claim going around, sign before the lockout or get sent back to Japan, is basically right. With one catch, it's not automatic. He only goes back if the lockout outlasts the window or if he doesn't sign prior. Here's why this matters. Unlike a normal free agent, a posted player cannot wait out the market. When the window closes, he goes home. That's the pressure on both sides right now. And one of you already feels the pressure. BreadKing62. BreadKing628 wrote, They should absolutely sign him. We can let another Murakami situation happen again where a bad or mediocre team gets a really good player, especially at an undervalued rate, because of one reason or the other. That's the fear. A star hits the market, the Yankees hesitate, and a team that wasn't in the conversation walks away with him the same way that happened with the White Sox and Munetaka Murakami. Also, for those of you who don't know much about Sato, here's a quick scouting report because you need to know what the Yankees are in a race for. In 2025, he was a Central League MVP, hitting .277 with 40 home runs and 102 RBIs. Then in 2026, the Central League Triple Crown, which means he led the league in average. He led the league in home runs and RBIs. Had a .306 batting average, 39 home runs, and 106 RBIs with a .383 on base percentage and a .609 slugging percentage for the Hanshin Tigers. Now, he's 27 years old. Turns 28 in March, bats left-handed, and plays third base and the corner outfield. MLB Trade Rumors calls him arguably the best hitter in the MVP over the last two seasons. Yes, that counts Munetaka Murakami, but there are flags on both sides as there typically are with everybody. The good is the 39 home runs and a .992 OPS in 2026. Can't go wrong with that. The bad is MLB trade rumor says his defense is not a strength and his contact and strikeout rates leave something to be desired. And then the price. Bleacher Report projects six years at $120 million, plus a posting fee for about $19.9 million. Here's how the posting fee works. A team that pays 20% of the first $25 million of his contract, 17.5% over the next $25 million, and 15% over the next above $50 million, anything above $50 million to be exact. On $120 million, that's about $5 million, about $4.4 million, and about $10.5 million. Roughly $19.9 million. It goes to Hanshin. It does not go to Sato himself. It's the price that the team pays for, you know, taking its best player away. Now... M-Q-L-E-N-Z thinks it climbs higher, though, quoting, driving his years and his price up to five years, $180 million. That's a fan's number, not a report, but it's totally within reason. It's actually a very good pricing. The projection I could source is Bleacher Report six years and $120 million. And then remember the Murakami lesson. Bleacher Report notes that Murakami was projected at 8 years, $180 million, and landed with the White Sox on 2 years, $34 million. Japanese hitters always don't get what the projection says. It can very often be a little bit off, depending on some numbers, specifically strikeouts, which was a problem for Murakami, but there's no doubt Murakami is a great player in the MLB who's going to get a lot of money after next season when he's done with his contract. And not the Yankees, because of course, this is Yankees digest after all Do they actually need him? Well, the Yankees have a history here. Hideki Matsui won World Series MVP for them in 2009. And Masahiro Tanaka signed a seven-year, $155 million deal in January of 2014 and was a playoff hero. Japanese stars have played in the Bronx before. But history doesn't hit, and need does. And third base right now is Ryan McMahon, who got 60% of the starts there with Ahmed Rosario, getting 40%. McMahon hit with a .213 average and a .279 on base percentage at a .357 slugging percentage in 2026, a .635 OPS. And he's owed $15.4 million to 2027, the luxury tax figure on the Yankees' contracts page. That page, by the way, is on DigestSports.com. You should go check it out where you can see every Yankees contract and depth chart for completely free Put the two side by side, Sato in Japan in 2026, a 383 on base percentage, 609 slugging, 992 OPS, and McMahon in the majors with a 279, 357, 635. Different leagues, so it's not a promise, but it shows you the size of the gap. And that's why Rosenthal said, quote, I expect the Yankees to be involved in the Sato market. That's not an expectation, not a report that they've made an offer. It's what Rosenthal and MLB Insider projects. The Yankees are not alone. John Heyman has the Phillies, Dodgers, and Mets in it too. An MLB trade rumor says at least five teams are interested. I would expect the Boston Red Sox to be as well. And Sato doesn't solve everything. Jorge Castillo said today, quote, Jazz Chisholm and Trent Grisham are as good as gone, so they'll need to figure out center field and second base. And a bat at third fills neither one, but does fill third base, which is also a problem. And Jesus Santos did. Have a good idea, though, saying, quote, it would be a great use of McMahon if he could help Sato with his defense as a mentor next year, which could make some sense. The Yankees probably can't get rid of Ryan McMahon because no one will take that contract. And obviously, guys, we will see what happens next because we do see fans who do think the Yankees are relying way, way, way too much on home runs. And I don't disagree. But at the same time, Sato is the best you can get. He's hitting for good contact. Honestly, I think it's a move that's just so worth it. It also taps you back into the Japanese market, which we know Brian Cashman has said he's disappointed with the Yankees' lack of success there. And for the Yankees, the lockout also threatens them just as much as it does Sato's clock. It changes how they have to think. Signing before December 1st means it's signing before anyone knows the new rules. The luxury tax lines, the salary structure, if there's gonna be a salary cap. All of it gets negotiated after the freeze. That is a real risk for any team making this move. Think about what that means for a front office. You have about four weeks to scout them, decide on a number, get ownership to sign off, and then learn what the new deal is going to be. On the other side, a deal now locks a hitter at a price set under today's rules before anything changes. That's the argument for moving fast. And Sato's agents know the clock too. That's pressure on every team to decide fast Which is exactly how a bidding war does begin. That's why I think this is a November decision for the Yankees right now. Because someone will sign him. Now, I don't know if you can tell, but I want Sato on the Yankees. And if I'm the Yankees and they want Sato, they have to move before December 1st. After that, they can't. They won't get him. I'd make the offer. The bat is real. 39 home runs and a .992 OPS in 2026, and this lineup needs it. Defense is a question, and McMahon helping out isn't a joke there, but still, it's worth it. I wouldn't blow past $120 million to win it. Bleacher Report's projection is close to a line that I would hold. If it goes to five years, $180 million, like some of you think. Maybe you could let someone else take the risk, but I don't hate the Yankees even taking that risk right now. They're the Yankees. They can afford it. If they pass, expect Sato to land with one of those other teams and expect to hear back from every Yankee fan for the next six years if he does pay off like I think he will. Now, honestly, I know the Yankees are kind of gun-shy nowadays, which is what scares me, but if they want to get back into the Japanese market, if they want to show they can bring players from Japan back to New York, well then, it's time you put your money where your mouth is. This guy had a .306 batting average And an OPS, you know. We're at the beginning of that stance for on base. I really, really do think it is time for the Yankees to make a move like this. Get a great hitter. Solve your third base problem. He'll get better at third base as time goes along. Hell, in a year or two, if Aaron Judge, really when Aaron Judge is playing full-time DH, if Sato is not holding up at third base, then you can move him to right field. You can move him to left field and move Cody Bellinger to right or something like that. I know Bellinger just won Gold Glove at left field, so I don't want to move him out of it. We know Belly can play anywhere. Sato's got the arm. You can totally move him to right field. And then all of a sudden have Judge DH-ing. Problem solved there, but that's not a problem for next year. Stick him at third base. As long as he's a moderately all right fielder, that's really all we need out there. The defense is not terrible at all for the Yankees right now. George is a good shortstop. Obviously, first base, Luis Garcia is not terrible there. Ben Rice is pretty solid there. Paul Goldschmidt is still a very good fielder. Second base, whoever plays that position, hopefully it works out. And frankly, I just think the Yankees really, really need to add another bat. Add another guy who can get on base and... Really add something to a team that could not hit for average at the fifth worst average in the league, and also, at the same time, Was just, frankly, unable to score runs that weren't home runs. Specifically, most of them were from Ben Rice as well. So, there's three dates to watch here. December 1st, the collective bargaining agreement expires. Then a possible lockout freezes everything. And December 15th or 16th, Sato's window closes. And the comment of the day is from DWBPDX, wrote, I've been a Yankee fan for 60 years. If they don't sign this guy, I'm putting the names of every other team in a hat and randomly picking a team to root for for the rest of my life. The Red Sox and Mets are not going in the hat. But, Hal, if you're watching, 60 years of loyalty is on the line here from Yankee fans. We need to see this team make big moves. Start making big moves. The last super, super, super big-time move the Yankees made, it was a guy who helped them go to the friggin' World Series. I don't care that there's too many lefties on this team. You get rid of lefties elsewhere in McMahon and Jazz and Trent Grisham. You replace them with righties and, bang, you're completely fine. So tell me, would you pay Teruyuki Sato six years? $120 million? Leave the comments down below. And guys, like this video, subscribe, turn on post notifications. Have a wonderful day. Go Yankees.