The Mariners have a pretty clear reason to stay away from Teruaki Sato, even if the bat is tempting. The Seattle Times reports Seattle is expected to pass on the Hanshin Tigers slugger, who blasted 39 home runs in 143 games this past season.
On paper, he looks like the kind of hitter who could help a team that is likely to lose Randy Arozarena’s bat and could use more offense at third base. In reality, the fit is murkier.
Sato won a Gold Glove at third in Japan in 2025, but the Times reports that most MLB clubs project him as a left fielder. That matters for Seattle, because he would also add another left-handed bat to a lineup that already leans that way.
His 164 strikeouts led Japan’s Central League, and scouts cited by the Times are concerned that his chase tendencies would be exposed even more by big league pitching. The power is real, but so are the swing-and-miss issues, and that gives the Mariners plenty of reason to hesitate before jumping into a bidding war.
If Seattle wants a more familiar answer at third, Eugenio Suárez is the name worth monitoring. He hit 26 homers in 125 games for Cincinnati last season, and he still has the kind of pop that can change a lineup when he gets rolling.
He managed only eight home runs through the first three months before catching fire late, which is exactly the kind of streaky production Seattle has seen from him before. He finished at .212, and at 35, the appeal comes down to whether the price matches the cold stretches and whether the Mariners believe he can handle regular innings at third.
The catch is that Suárez only makes sense if he’s actually playing third. If he ends up mostly at DH, the fit falls apart fast. That would take at-bats away from Cal Raleigh when he needs a day off from catching, Lazaro Montes, who needs more swings, and Dominic Canzone, who is trying to build off a breakout 2026 season.
Alec Bohm is the cleaner defensive name for the position. He was Philadelphia’s regular third baseman and gives Seattle another right-handed option.
But his 15 homers and .698 OPS in 155 games this year don’t exactly scream upgrade, especially in T-Mobile Park. To sell that move, the Mariners would need to believe in a rebound and a real power jump.
Edmundo Sosa fits better as depth, since he can cover multiple infield spots. Brendan Donovan can handle third and get on base, which gives Seattle some flexibility and a reason to be selective about what it pays for a replacement. But even there, the bigger issue remains the same: the Mariners still need a bat that actually moves the lineup.
Colt Emerson adds another layer to the picture. The Times reports Seattle is moving on from J.P.
Crawford, which puts Emerson in the shortstop conversation after a rookie season in which he hit .190 in 241 plate appearances. That makes it even more important not to overload him with expectations.
Let him compete for the job without asking him to carry the offense.
For now, the clearest path looks like checking in with Eugenio Suárez’s agent about a short, affordable deal. If the market gets too expensive, Brendan Donovan at third is the fallback.
Either way, Seattle can spend on power somewhere else. Between the questions around Sato’s glove and the strikeout risk, it’s easy to see why the Mariners would sit this one out.
In Other News...
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The Mariners search for help on the left side of the infield has become a question of both fit and finances. Seattle is reportedly looking for a veteran who can stabilize third base or shortstop alongside Colt Emerson, and the front office has been tied to a range of possibilities as it tries to balance immediate needs with longer-term roster planning.
One name to watch is Teruaki Sato, a Japanese power bat who would bring real upside but also a steep price tag that could test how aggressive ownership wants to be. Seattle has generally preferred to make its biggest long-term commitments earlier in a players career, which leaves this pursuit in a gray area: appealing enough to consider, expensive enough to make the final call hinge on how far John Stanton is willing to go. [Read more 🡒]
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What complicates the fit is the market around him. Morejon has drawn attention from teams that view him as a possible starter, but Seattle would be looking at him through a bullpen lens, and that kind of role preference can matter as much as the contract itself. The Mariners have not made any official move involving him yet, but if they decide to stay aggressive, this is the sort of pursuit that could test how far Dipoto is willing to go to land impact relief help. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners Depth Picture Gets Murkier After Tacomas Uneven 2026
Tacomas 2026 season offered a mixed bag for the Mariners upper-level depth chart, even if the Rainiers still managed to finish in the middle of the Pacific Coast League pack in key offensive and run-prevention categories. The clubs 72-78 record reflected the uneven nature of the year, but there were still some encouraging individual performances scattered through the roster, including Brock Roddens power and extra-base production, plus stretches of impact from Brennen Davis before injuries took over.
The bigger question for Seattle is what to make of the names that were supposed to shape the next wave. Colt Emersons year never really settled into the kind of momentum the organization hoped for, and his health and performance issues only added to the uncertainty around the farm systems timeline. For a Mariners club that has leaned on internal development to keep its window open, Tacomas uneven season left more questions than clean answers about who is ready to help next and when. [Read more 🡒]