Even before the Philadelphia Phillies’ season ended with a disappointing Wild Card Series loss to the rival Atlanta Braves, all signs pointed to veteran third baseman Alec Bohm’s likely departure.

Bohm hit free agency after the World Series, and he remained unsigned as of Wednesday afternoon. We typically don’t see the MLB Hot Stove pick up until mid-November at the earliest, so that’s not necessarily cause for concern. But questions nonetheless continue to grow about who will be the Phillies’ Opening Day third baseman, assuming that there even is a 2027 season.

MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki didn’t rule out Bohm signing a new contract in Philadelphia, but he turned his attention to a more intriguing name. The Hanshin Tigers recently posted star third baseman Teruaki Sato, who hit 79 homers with 208 RBI, 74 doubles and a .957 OPS combined over the last two seasons. 

“The Phils could open the checkbook for Sato, but will a Japanese star want to play in Philly?” Zolecki wrote. “It’s been a tough sell to this point. Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto had absolutely zero interest in playing for the Phillies.”

As of publication, Sato had not announced plans to meet with any teams ahead of the likely Dec. 2 work stoppage. Teams have until Dec. 1 to sign any posted international players, including those from Japan and South Korea. 

Would Japanese third baseman Teruaki Sato want to play for the Philadelphia Phillies?

Zolecki has covered the Phillies for nearly 25 years, and he’s among the team’s most respected and credible beat writers. We trust his instincts in openly questioning Sato’s potential interest in choosing an organization that, as of November 2026, has not signed a Japanese free agent to their first MLB contract.

Despite their near-September collapse and subsequent Wild Card Series loss, we’re not writing off the Phillies’ 2027 hopes. Even if they’re nearing the end of their championship window, they’re seemingly committed to running it back with their current core; look no further than choosing to keep interim manager Don Mattingly rather than hit the reset button. 

Sato would immediately join a Phillies lineup already featuring Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber, and we’re still bullish on veteran second baseman Bryson Stott. Zolecki also floated the idea of Stott, who finished the season at third base following the Luis Arraez trade, sticking at the hot corner. 

Ohtani was also an established two-time AL MVP when he signed with the Dodgers. We personally believe Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto, who respectively signed with the White Sox and Blue Jays last offseason, are more comparable players given that both, much like Sato, were proven Japanese sluggers.

NBC Sports Philadelphia recently reported that the Phillies “did not seriously pursue” either player.

Revisiting the Philadelphia Phillies’ history of signing and acquiring Japanese players

As of November 2026, only two Japanese-born players, second baseman Tadahito Iguchi and outfielder So Taguchi, have suited up for the Phillies in a regular-season game. 

Iguchi, who began his career with the White Sox, joined the Phillies in a July 2007 trade. He hit .304 with three home runs, 12 RBI and an .803 OPS over 45 games during the stretch run for the NL East champions. The two parties reunited in September 2008 after the Padres cut Iguchi amid a 99-loss season, though he was ineligible for the postseason roster.

An established outfielder in Japan, Taguchi spent his first six seasons with the Cardinals and made his MLB debut at 33 years old. He hit .220 with nine RBI across 103 plate appearances for the 2008 Phillies and, unlike Iguchi, actually saw postseason action that year. Both received World Series rings, and Taguchi became the first Japanese player to win multiple championships; he hit .400 with two home runs in 18 playoff plate appearances for the 2006 Cardinals.