The Yankees’ infield is shaping up as one of the biggest questions of the offseason, and the front office can’t afford to drift into 2027 with Anthony Volpe at second base and Ryan McMahon at third.
A lot of the buzz has centered on NPB star Teruaki Sato, the kind of name that instantly grabs attention. New York has been linked to trying to move McMahon and his $16 million salary, but there’s also been reporting that the Yankees won’t be in on Sato because of defensive concerns. Jim Bowden of The Athletic sees it differently, projecting a Yankees-Red Sox bidding war for Sato and putting the price at five years and $180 million for the 2026 NPB Triple Crown winner.
That kind of number would fit the fear that’s followed Sato around. Munetaka Murakami’s 2026 season only sharpened the debate: he hit 35 homers, but also batted .207 and struck out 35.4% of the time.
Sato’s profile looks a lot like Murakami’s, and the question is whether that kind of production can really translate. For the Yankees, who need more contact rather than less, that matters.
But Sato may not be the best Japanese fit for this roster anyway. Another posted player, Yokohama DeNA BayStars second baseman Shugo Maki, could make more sense for New York and likely cost less.
Maki is 28, bats right-handed, and is coming off the best offensive season of his career. He hit 30 homers and slashed .283/.363/.564.
He also struck out just 17.9% of the time, and he has never had a strikeout rate above 19.4% in his career. Sato, by contrast, has lived in the high 20s with his strikeout rate, including 26.7% this season.
The contact numbers point the same way. Maki posted an 89.4% zone contact rate in 2026, well ahead of Sato’s 81%.
Those figures will both be tested against MLB pitching, but Maki’s margin for error is clearly wider. Sato would need elite power to make up for a sub-80% zone contact rate in the majors.
The roster fit also tilts toward Maki. Sato would be a third baseman, which would push Luis Garcia Jr. to second if the Yankees follow through on the position move they’ve hinted at.
Garcia Jr. already struggled there during his time in Washington. If Sato proves to be the shaky defender some fear, Ben Rice doesn’t improve much with the glove, and Garcia Jr. can’t handle second, the Yankees could be staring at a disastrous infield.
There is at least some reason to think Garcia Jr. could work at third, since he has played decent first base and some of those quick-twitch actions can carry across the diamond. Maki isn’t known for his defense either, but he could be serviceable.
His handedness matters, too. Maki bats right-handed, while Sato is another lefty, and the Yankees’ lineup already leans too far that way.
Maki also brings a postseason résumé. He’s the BayStars captain, won the 2024 Japan Series, and even though Yokohama lost to the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in this year’s Japan Series, he delivered a huge playoff run.
So while Sato is the louder name, Maki looks like the cleaner answer. He fits the roster better, brings leadership and playoff experience, carries less risk, and should cost less. For the Yankees, that makes him the smarter target.
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