Could Teruaki Sato Be Alec Bohm’s Replacement For Phillies?

BusinessSportsMoneyCould Teruaki Sato Be Alec Bohm’s Replacement For Phillies?ByAnthony Stitt, Contributor. Follow AuthorAug 20, 2026, 04:20pm EDTAug 20, 2026, 04:23pm EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.SummaryThe Phillies face a significant third base dilemma with Alec Bohm's impending free agency. Their top prospect, Aidan Miller, is sidelined by a chronic back injury, leaving a void. Attention is now turning to Japanese slugger Teruaki Sato, a 27-year-old NPB MVP with impressive power numbers, whom the Phillies are actively scouting. Sato, who hit 40 homers in 2025 and boasts a 1.026 OPS this season, presents a compelling solution. However, Philadelphia has a notoriously poor track record with Japanese talent, having previously failed to sign Yoshinobu Yamamoto despite a superior offer. While Bryson Stott offers a temporary infield shuffle, securing Sato is seen as vital for the Phillies' long-term stability at third, potentially erasing past recruitment disappointments. Show More The Phils reportedly have dispatched scouts to assess Teruaki Sato of the Hanshin Tigers. (Photo by Sports Nippon/Getty Images)Getty ImagesThe days of Alec Bohm in Philly are fading fast. Bohm, who’ll enter free agency this offseason, will almost certainly sign elsewhere this upcoming winter, leaving behind a crack in the Phillies’ infield that will need patching up. Bohm has been the team’s primary third baseman for seven seasons, playing more than 700 games at the hot corner since his 2020 callup. Enter the obvious question: Who’s on third for the Phils next season? Enter the not-so obvious answer: How about Teruaki Sato, the Japanese slugger for the Hanshin Tigers? MLB insider Jon Heyman has linked the Phillies among a few other teams to Sato. The Phils reportedly have dispatched scouts to assess the 27-year-old ahead of his anticipated posting from Nippon Professional Baseball. Sato, who has played more than 500 games at third for the Tigers, is one of the most fearsome NPB hitters. In 2025, he launched 40 home runs, drove in 102 runs and won the MVP. And through 103 games this season, the lefty slugger is batting a career-high .315 with 27 bombs and a 1.026 OPS. Check out Sato annihilating a Blake Snell fastball in a 2025 exhibition game: Now a reality zap for Phillies fans pining for Sato: While other MLB clubs have infused rosters with Japanese talent, the Phils have struck out (literally) in recruiting players out of Japan. They’ve signed just one professional player: pitcher Koyo Aoyagi, who inked a minor-league contract in January 2025 but got released six months later, having never made the big league squad. MORE FOR YOULest we forget Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s infamous snubbing. Three off-seasons ago, the Phillies made the largest offer for Yamamoto after reportedly having a strong meeting with him. He ultimately chose the Dodgers, signing for 12 years and $325 million, despite Philly’s offer being financially superior. But a Sato signing could erase Yamamoto’s dissing of the Phillies while being their best fall-back option to replace Bohm – especially after what’s happened to their top prospect Aidan Miller. Not long ago, Phillies management foresaw Miller as Bohm’s inevitable replacement. But Miller’s career has been sidetracked due to a chronic back condition that has destroyed his 2026 season. Miller has not taken a single at-bat this year. He underwent surgery – a minimally invasive radiofrequency ablation – in early June to treat discogenic pain and facet inflammation in his lumbar spine. Even if Miller returns, he may need a full season of minor-league ball to reignite his development. An in-house option for third base could be Bryson Stott, who has slid over there, during the Phillies’ infield reshuffle to accommodate second baseman Luis Arraez, who the team nabbed at the trade deadline. The domino effect of the Arraez deal has bumped Bohm to first and Bryce Harper to rightfield. But Arraez will be a free agent after the season and there’s no guarantee he’ll return to Philly. So, that leaves the Phillies with the looming dilemma in the infield, and it could be solved if they sign Sato. Editorial StandardsReprints & PermissionsLOADING VIDEO PLAYER...FORBES’ FEATURED VideoExplore Topic