Japanese left-handed outfielder Teruaki Sato will be playing in Major League Baseball in 2027. In case you aren’t familiar with Sato, he just accomplished the Triple Crown in the NPB and has hit 79 home runs and stole 18/23 bases during the last two seasons. This past season, he had a .991 OPS, and during the World Baseball Classic this spring, he slashed .300/.417/.600, which was good for a 1.017 OPS in 12 plate appearances.
He’ll be 28 years old for the 2027 season, and his profile is similar to that of Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto, with big power potential mixed with lots of strikeouts. While he played third base in addition to the outfield, he grades out as a below-average defender and seems destined for the outfield. It is expected that Sato is able to sign a nine-figure deal with whichever team he chooses.
For the article, I omitted the top five teams in payroll from the past season. Just a reminder, the league average total team payroll, per Spotrac, was almost $182 million. The big budget teams, like the New York Mets (almost $347 million), Los Angeles Dodgers ($339 million), and New York Yankees ($308 million), have quality options for the corner outfield positions. The Philadelphia Phillies (almost $292 million) and Blue Jays ($276 million) have glaring holes, and they are sure to be big bidders.
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The big spending teams, as well as (historically) the West Coast teams, have the spending or geographical advantage of signing Sato. This article isn’t a prediction of where he will sign; it’s which “mid-market” teams should push their chips in and sign the potential star.
One of the likelier teams on the list, the Astros have been publicly in the market for a left-handed hitting outfielder since the trade deadline. The only player locked into their outfield plan is right fielder Cam Smith, with MVP candidate Yordan Alvarez penciled in as the primary designated hitter.
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Trade deadline acquisition Daulton Varsho is a free agent, and Opening Day starting center fielder Jake Meyers was sent to the minors during the year. The Astros have several former prospects/post-hype young outfielders who plan to compete for at-bats this year, like infielder Brice Matthews, Zach Cole, Zach Dezenzo, Joey Loperfido, and Lucas Spence. Although the Astros have several options, none of them have the potential that Sato has to offer.
The Astros won the American League West with an 81-81 record, but the organization has previously shown willingness to spend. The team has a strong, but aging lineup and a pitching staff with potential, led by ace Hunter Brown and elite closer Josh Hader. With the addition of Sato, the team could be viewed as division favorites yet again.
The Padres finished the season as one of the hottest playoff teams. This was despite having a hole in LF for most of their season. They were able to crowdsource decent options, but without any long-term prospects, the Padres offer perhaps the most realistic destination for Sato.
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Last off-season, the Padres signed Korean infielder Sung-Mun Song. This is noteworthy as it establishes a pipeline that many Asian players covet. The Padres have superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. locked into right field, and Sato’s left-handed bat slides in perfectly with the right-handed-heavy lineup. Star center fielder Jackson Merrill ranks 16th in Baseball Savant’s defense rating metric (Fielding Run Value) over the past three seasons, and Tatis ranks 57th amongst all position players. These two outfielders can help cover for any defensive limitations Sato may have.
The outfield is heavy with left-handed batters, with All-MLB left fielder Riley Greene and Fielding Bible Award-winning utility man Zach McKinstry manning the corners. Incumbent right fielder/designated hitter Kerry Carpenter has graded out as one of the worst defensive outfielders in the sport but can be counted on as a solid platoon bat. With the bad contract of Javier Báez coming off the books soon, that would free up payroll to afford Sato.
The Tigers had a disappointing season, but this team is brimming with young talent, and they play in a winnable, but suddenly competitive division. Signing Sato would allow the team to move Carpenter to a full-time platoon role and allow McKinstry to move around the diamond again. The Tigers struggled to score runs at multiple times during the season, and Sato would help provide pop.
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The Royals had a disappointing season, and they’ll be looking to bounce back in 2027. Jac Caglianone moved from first base to right field to help Kansas City’s outfield problems. Sato’s bat doesn’t help balance the lefty-heavy lineup, but his skill would help lengthen the young lineup. Center fielder Kyle Isbel has accumulated 22 FRV, tied for 28th since 2024. Left fielder Isaac Collins had a breakout year for Milwaukee in 2025 but had trouble replicating his success after a trade to the Kansas City Royals. The switch-hitting Collins could slide into a fourth outfielder role that likely suits him better.
The Atlanta Braves, with the sixth-highest payroll, are surely to be in on Sato, and he fits nicely into their lineup. The Los Angeles Angels and Cincinnati Reds have open vacancies all over the outfield. The Angels, under new management, could attempt to hook the big fish, as they once had with Shohei Ohtani. Sato would help balance their lineup and offer protection for Mike Trout in the batting order. The Cubs could be losing two important outfielders to free agency, and even though they have some interesting internal options, they could be surprise bidders.
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The hype surrounding Sato, especially given how well Murakami and Okamoto acclimated to the majors, will be a fun development to monitor. He was posted on October 19, and every MLB team will have 45 days to negotiate a deal. The smart money is he signs with one of the big-budget teams, but as a fan, here’s hoping he signs with a “surprise” team.
Main Photo Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
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