A reporter asked Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman on Wednesday about the Japanese free agent market — specifically Teruaki Sato, the reigning Triple Crown winner.
While he declined to go into specifics about Sato, Friedman made it abundantly clear the Dodgers' scouts remain deeply interested in the Japanese market.
“Obviously we are a big fan of the NPB and have a lot of respect for the talent in that league," Friedman said. "And it’s something we follow closely and watch. Our understanding is there’s a chance there’s a couple of very talented players that are going to potentially come over to the major leagues. And we’re going to continue to meet on that and talk about it. … We’re excited about having those conversations and watching these guys play out.”
Sato, 27, plays both third base and right field. In his final season before he was eligible to be posted by the Hanshin Tigers, a prerequisite for signing a major league free agent contract, Sato erupted for 39 homers and 106 RBIs. He finished the NPB season with a .306/.383/.609 slash line.
Sato also went 3-for-10 with three doubles in the 2026 World Baseball Classic for Team Japan. How any of those numbers might translate to MLB is subject for debate.
Sato smacked a three-run home run against Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell in an exhibition game before the 2025 Tokyo Series. In the WBC, he batted second behind Shohei Ohtani in a quarterfinal matchup against Venezuela, and hit a double against Boston Red Sox pitcher Ranger Suarez.
The Tigers accepted Sato's posting request Monday. He's coming — and he's coming earlier than usual for a Japanese player.
Because the Collective Bargaining Agreement between MLB and the MLB Players' Association expires Dec. 1, that date might be somewhat of a soft deadline for Sato to sign a contract. Teams won't be able to sign players in December if the league locks out the players, as expected.
Sato might not be alone among his countrymen in this year's free agent class.
According to a recent report by ESPN’s Jeff Passan, right-handed pitchers Kaima Taira of the Saitama Seibu Lions and Hiromi Itoh of the Hokkaido Nippon-ham Fighters could be posted this offseason, as well.
The Dodgers might not get past the tire-kicking stage with any of the three free agents. But given their unparalleled visibility in Japan, any interest the Dodgers have is likely to be mutual.
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