The Houston Astros are coming off a very inconsistent season overall, but in particular, there were some struggles with this team from the plate, aside from designated hitter Yordan Alvarez, to put runs on the board.
On that note, there is actually one player the Astros could potentially sign in what would be a massive move that has the ability to raise the ceiling of this lineup by quite a bit. That player is Japanese star third baseman Terukai Sato.
Recently, Bleacher Report MLB analyst Kerry Miller put together a piece that ranked the top landing spots for Terukai Sato following the news that the Hanshin Tigers approved Sato's request to be posted for MLB free agency.
In that ranking, the Astros were not included, but it is possible that the Astros should at least consider trying to make a run for him. Before taking a look at Houston's side of this, let's first take a look at Sato's stats as well as how signing him would work.
This past season, Sato was very impressive as he won the Triple Crown in the NPB (Nippon Professional Baseball) as he recorded a batting average of .306, 106 RBIs, and 39 home runs, which are very impressive statistics and could put him in a position to earn a lucrative contract in the MLB.
When it comes to signing Sato, Miller notes that Sato is not officially an available free agent until the Japan Series ends, which is basically on the same timeline as the World Series. Once Sato is available, he has a 45-day window in which he must be signed, or he will return to his original team in the NPB.
Additionally, if Sato is not signed when the collective bargaining agreement expires on December 1st at 11:59 PM EST, there is a lockout anticipated, and if that does occur, his window to sign would pause until the lockout is done, giving him extra time to negotiate, according to Mark Polishuk of MLB Trade Rumors.
With all that understood, now let's take a look at the Astros side possibly signing Sato as a potential free agent.
To start, the Astros technically have the cap space to sign Sato because MLB does not have a hard salary cap like other professional sports do. However, Houston is looking for a new general manager and a new manager, in addition to having a few free agents as well as players up for extensions.
One more key point when it comes to the financial side is the fact that, according to Spotrac, the Astros are over the projected competitive balance tax space, as they are at -$43,709,994. Based on that, it will come down to how much owner Jim Crane is willing to go over that with the moves the Astros must make in preparation for next season.
Also, Crane has historically strayed away from lengthy contracts, and with Sato entering the prime of his career, it is very possible that he could request that kind of contract, so it is a possibility that Houston may not even consider signing Sato for that reason.
Looking at just the on field aspect there is no question that Sato could be a great fit in Houston with his ability to be a very consistent batter. However, with the Astros not having a manager or a general manager they are behind so it is not very likely that Houston will make a major splash before filling both of those vacancies.
Ultimately, it is also going to be up to Crane whether he even wants to pursue a player on the type of contract that he typically signs players to.
With all that in mind, it will be interesting to track which teams are linked to Sato and if the Astros are an option despite not having a GM, or if Houston stays out of this race and Crane wants to put focus on hiring the next GM and manager as well as solving the other issues this roster has heading into 2027.
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