Teruaki Sato Rumors: Dodgers Among Interested Teams

The Los Angeles Dodgers figure to cast a wide net in their search for roster improvements this offseason and could again look to go the international route.

Teruaki Sato is taking his talents to Major League Baseball after being posted by the Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and should get plenty of attention from teams in need of a big bat.

According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees and New York Mets are among the teams showing interest in Sato.

The Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, Phillies and Padres are among the teams believed to have interest in Sato, which bodes well for the 27-year-old.

Sato is coming off a monster season with the Tigers that saw him win the Triple Crown in NPB’s Central League after batting .306 with 39 home runs and 106 RBI across 143 games.

One downside to Sato’s game is his tendency to swing and miss at a high rate, as evidenced by his 327 strikeouts over the last two seasons. He is capable of playing third base and the outfield, so his versatility should only help his market.

Sato has drawn comparisons to Chicago White Sox All-Star Munetaka Murakami, who was in an identical spot a year ago as he made the jump to MLB. Teams were enamored by his bat but had concerns about his strikeout rate and defensive ability.

Murakami ultimately signed a two-year, $34 million contract, which looks like a steal after he hit 35 home runs in his first Major League season.

Whether Sato fetches a similar deal remains to be seen, but he should have no shortage of suitors when choosing his first MLB team.

When will Teruaki Sato sign?

In a normal MLB offseason, players from NPB would have 45 days to negotiate a potential contract with teams. However, they are facing a deadline of Dec. 1 this year due to the looming MLB lockout because of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) experiing. NPB players who are unable to reach a deal by that date will have to return to Japan next season.

Under the MLB posting system, a team that signs free agents from the NPB will need to pay a fee to their previous team that totals 20% for the first $25 million of a prospective contract, 17.5% for the next $25 million, and an additional 15% on every dollar above $50 million.