MLB insider Bob Nightengale is already floating a huge number around Teruaki Sato, and it’s the kind of figure that turns a free-agent market into a bidding war.
Speaking Wednesday on Foul Territory, Nightengale said he thinks the Japanese slugger could top what Toronto Blue Jays infielder Kazuma Okamoto got last offseason. In Nightengale’s view, Sato could land somewhere in the $80 million to $100 million range, a price tag that would put him in position to be the most valuable position player in what has been described as a relatively weak free-agent class.
The buzz makes sense when you look at what Sato just did in Japan. The 27-year-old spent the 2025 season with the Hanshin Tigers in Nippon Professional Baseball, playing in 143 games and putting together a monster year at the plate. He hit .306 with a .991 OPS, crushed 39 home runs and drove in 106 runs.
That production earned him the NPB Triple Crown and only added to the sense that he’s one of the most intriguing offensive names available to MLB clubs. At 27, he brings more than just power. He brings a left-handed bat, a huge season on his résumé and the kind of age that can make teams feel better about paying for upside and impact.
Nightengale’s comparison point was Okamoto, who signed a four-year, $60 million deal with the Blue Jays last offseason. That contract carries a $15 million average annual value, and Toronto got a proven power bat in return. Okamoto’s first MLB season ended with a .232 batting average, 33 home runs and 92 RBIs.
Even with that kind of production, Nightengale thinks Sato can go higher. If that prediction holds, Sato wouldn’t just be another international signing. He’d be one of the biggest ones in recent years, with multiple teams likely lining up to chase him.
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