Time and time again, the Los Angeles Dodgers have found themselves courting top talent from Japan during the offseason. As recent history has shown, Japanese stars heading to LA have had nothing but success and have been integral to winning the last two World Series rings.
Earlier this month, Hanshin Tigers third baseman Teruaki Sato had his posting request accepted to go from Nippon Professional Baseball to Major League Baseball ahead of the 2027 campaign.
Across 143 games last season, the 27-year-old slashed a staggering .306/.383/.609 and a .991 OPS to go along with 39 home runs and a career-high106 RBIs. This was good for a wRC+ of 196, almost 100% better than league average in Japan.
According to Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report, the Dodgers are a potential destination for Sato this winter.
"Fire is hot. Water is wet. And the Dodgers might sign one of the top free agents — from Japan, no less — on the market," Miller wrote.
Could the Dodgers Sign Teruaki Sato?
The left-handed slugger has 163 home runs across the past six seasons, but defensively, it may be difficult to find a spot for him.
Max Muncy is the current man at the hot corner and is signed through the 2027 campaign with a club option for 2028.
Muncy will make $10.7 million this season. Sato should earn a big contract, and his team will be responsible for a 20% fee of the first $25 million that goes to Sato's first guaranteed deal, according to MLB Trade Rumors' Mark Polishuk. The fee shrinks to 17.5% of the next $25 million he makes, and then goes to 15% of anything after $50 million.
While Satio is a third baseman, all hope shouldn't be lost for Dodgers fans. Sato also has experience in the outfield, playing 18 games on the grass last season and 262 total appearances in six NPB seasons. Theoretically, Sato could start in the outfield and transition to third base once Muncy's contract is up.
The boost to the offense seems to be undeniable assuming Sato keeps up his production in North America, but another reason why LA may be hesitant to make the investment is rookie Josue De Paula.
De Paula absolutely tore it up at the Double-A level this past season, leading to his MLB call-up in September. In a short 11-game sample size for the rookie, he batted .323 with an OPS of 1.081.
He was barely a factor in October due to his inability to play defense at a big-league-caliber level. Part of the plan for De Paula will likely be to give him more reps in the outfield during the 2027 campaign, and if that's the case, it would be two left-handed bats battling for playing time.
If there is a fit for Sato that doesn't endanger De Paula's production nor makes his role redundant with Muncy, the offensive numbers he has put up in Japan would make him an instant-impact player in LA.
However, the Dodgers may not be his best landing spot for immediate playing time, making the fit potentially murky.
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