The Dodgers are being floated as one of the clubs in the mix for Japanese star Teruaki Sato, but the fit is anything but clean.
Sato just put together a monster season in Japan, winning the 2026 Nippon Professional Baseball Central League Triple Crown while showing off the kind of pop that has made him one of the more intriguing names in this free-agent class. He hit .306 with 39 HR and 106 RBI, and he also showed some defensive flexibility by playing 125 games at third base and 18 more in the outfield.
That versatility is part of what has pushed his market beyond the obvious power-bat conversation. Jon Heyman of the NY Post ranked Sato ninth among the available free agents and noted that he has been linked to several big-market teams.
“The comp is the White Sox’ Munetaka Murakami, but this Japan MVP is a more versatile defensively,” Heyman wrote. “He’ll be helped by the performances of Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto. Been linked to Padres, Phillies, Yankees, Mets and Dodgers.”
Heyman also projected a possible contract for Sato starting at four years and $80 million.
For Los Angeles, though, the roster picture makes the pursuit complicated. Max Muncy is still under contract next year and is coming off a strong season at third base, making it hard to see the Dodgers moving on from him. If Sato were to fit anywhere, the outfield would be the next logical stop, but that area is already crowded as well.
There is one scenario that could open a lane: if Teoscar Hernandez is ultimately dealt, the Dodgers could use a younger, more athletic, better defensive option. Even then, Sato’s reputation is built more on his bat than his glove, and the question becomes whether Los Angeles wants to keep running out another subpar defender in left field after dealing with that issue in recent years.
The designated hitter spot doesn’t offer much help either. Shohei Ohtani is locked into that role, and Freddie Freeman is set at first base, leaving little room to shuffle pieces around even if Muncy were willing to move off third.
So while Sato does not look like an obvious Dodgers fit on paper, Los Angeles’ long-standing connection to Japan is impossible to ignore. The organization has seen plenty of Japanese stars thrive there over the last three decades, including Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki.
In Other News...
Former Dodgers Ace Is Headed For A Massive Free Agency Fight
After a disappointing 2026 season that left them out of the playoffs, the Mets are already looking ahead to the 2027 offseason and the kind of pitching overhaul that could reshape the roster. Starting pitching and bullpen help are both on the list, and Nolan McLean is viewed as a possible cornerstone if the club can build a staff around him.
Tarik Skubal is the name that keeps surfacing as the kind of swing the Mets could make if they want to land a true rotation headliner. The two-time Cy Young Award winner would bring immediate credibility to a staff that needs it, but any pursuit figures to turn into a major free-agency battle once the market opens. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Make A Surprising Hitting Change Max Muncy Clearly Hated
The Dodgers coaching staff is headed for a notable shakeup after the club and co-hitting coach Aaron Bates could not reach agreement on a contract for the 2027 season. Bates has been part of the organizations staff since 2019 and has worked alongside Robert Van Scoyoc as co-hitting coach since 2023, so this is not a minor backroom adjustment for a team that has leaned heavily on continuity in that area.
Andrew Friedman had expected the staff to stay together, which makes the decision to move on from at least one piece of it a little more surprising. Van Scoyoc is staying put, but Bates departure leaves the Dodgers with an opening in a role that has been central to their offensive approach, and it adds another layer of intrigue to how the team plans to handle its hitting infrastructure going forward. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Could Use Their Deepest Strength To Chase An Upgrade
The Dodgers are heading into the GM meetings with the kind of roster flexibility that usually makes other clubs pay attention. With a potential lockout looming on Dec. 1, Los Angeles is expected to be active early, and the front office has a few different ways to chase an upgrade by dealing from areas where the organization can afford to part with talent.
Teoscar Hernandez, Gavin Stone, Mike Sirota and James Tibbs III are among the names that could come up in those conversations, each for different reasons tied to contract status, injury history or simple depth elsewhere on the roster. For a team built to keep adding, the question is not whether the Dodgers have pieces to move, but which of those pieces could be used to land the next fit before the calendar turns. [Read more 🡒]