The Philadelphia Phillies will be getting set for the start of the offseason soon, and all eyes will be on what the franchise will be trying to accomplish.

Coming off another early exit in October, the Phillies are going to be an interesting team to watch this winter. Philadelphia has been very aggressive in their pursuit of talent in recent years, but that has resulted in a ballooned payroll and some bad contracts. 

Now, with the team seemingly in a tough spot as a playoff contender but a ways off from being a World Series contender, what the plan will be this winter is unknown. 

Certainly, the Phillies are still going to want to be a team that is considered a title contender coming into the year. However, finding ways to improve might be a challenge. 

Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report recently predicted where some of the top free agents would land. For the Phillies, he had them landing the talented Japanese star Teruaki Sato. 

Signing Sato Would Be a Surprise

While Sato is going to be one of the best hitters to hit the market and improving the offense of the Phillies is a need, spending big might not be the best course of action for the team this winter. 

Philadelphia is a team that has a lot of big contracts, some of which aren’t looking great right now. Due to the payroll being so high, whether or not the Phillies will get in the mix for some of the big names this winter has yet to be determined.

Philadelphia is usually a team that makes a splash or two in free agency, but including the tax, their payroll is shaping up to be north of $300 million for 2027. That is a steep price, but this is a team that has needs. 

Adding Sato would certainly help with the offense, but where he is going to play is an interesting dilemma. In Japan, he played mostly third base, but there is some concern about his defensive abilities at the position.  

Due to the team having Kyle Schwarber locked in as the designated hitter for a majority of the time, signing Sato seems like a big risk if he can’t play the field up to par. Philadelphia already has a defensive liability in Trea Turner. 

Overall, with a high expected contract to land him and some concerns about how he will fit, the Phillies landing him would be a surprise.