The search for help at third base is shaping up to be one of the winter’s bigger storylines, and the Phillies, Yankees and Red Sox are all being linked to the same prize.
That matters because each club has reasons to keep an open mind at the position. In New York, the Yankees have spent the last couple of seasons trying to patch third base together, and it still hasn’t stuck.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. was asked to learn the spot on the fly after arriving at the 2024 trade deadline, and the team has since added Ryan McMahon, Amed Rosario and Jose Caballero in hopes of stabilizing the hot corner. None has fully taken hold.
McMahon has been the biggest letdown, with his glove still playing well but his bat dragging down the bottom of the lineup.
Philadelphia is facing its own decision with Alec Bohm. Bohm’s season got off to a rough start, but he settled in as the year went on and finished with .249/.315/.383, 15 home runs and 88 RBI.
Even with the slow opening, he is being viewed as a legitimate free-agent target. Still, the Phillies are trying to get younger, and a long-term commitment to another veteran may not line up with what they want to do.
That sets the stage for a possible market chase, and Jim Bowden of The Athletic believes Japanese star Teruaki Sato could be at the center of it. Bowden wrote, “Some teams believe he can stay at third base; others see him as best suited for first base or left field.
Either way, the bat profiles for the middle of the order. 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,”
If that kind of competition develops, Sato would bring exactly what clubs are hunting for: a legitimate middle-of-the-order bat and a defender capable of handling third base. He is coming off a 39-home-run season and won the Triple Crown, which only adds to the appeal for teams trying to upgrade the hot corner in a hurry.
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Phillies Fans Will Love The Rhys Hoskins Idea Until One Problem Appears
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Arozarena is not going to be short on suitors, either. The Mariners, Braves and Reds are also expected to be in the mix, which means Philadelphia would likely have to navigate a crowded market if it decides to push hard for help on the grass. For a front office weighing lineup fixes, the interest in Arozarena is a reminder that the Phillies may need to act aggressively if they want to address the offense in a meaningful way. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Eye A Rare Offseason Move With Real Lineup Impact
The Phillies are keeping an eye on a potentially unusual addition this offseason in Teruaki Sato, the Japanese free agent who won Nippon Professional Baseball MVP honors and is viewed as one of the top position players available. For a club looking to reinforce both its lineup and its power production, Sato fits the kind of profile that can draw real interest beyond the usual winter market chatter.
Philadelphia has never signed a player directly from Japan to an MLB contract, which gives this pursuit a layer of rarity as well as roster intrigue. If the Phillies push hard, they would be stepping into a lane only a couple of other big-league franchises have occupied, with the Rockies and Marlins as the only clubs in that category, and the appeal is obvious: a player with impact potential and a chance to address a need in one move. [Read more 🡒]