The Blue Jays are once again looking to Japan as they try to add some much-needed thump to their lineup.
Toronto finished last in the Majors with 152 home runs this past season, a jarring number for a team that has usually leaned on power. Third baseman Kazuma Okamoto led the AL East club with 33 homers, while Vladimir Guerrero Jr. managed just nine.
That shortage of pop is part of why the Blue Jays are being linked to another big bat overseas. According to The Athletic’s Mitch Bannon, Toronto has interest in Hanshin Tigers third baseman Teruaki Sato, who was posted by NPB’s Hanshin Tigers.
"The Jays have interest in 2025 Central League MVP Teruaki Sato, said sources familiar with Toronto’s offseason conversations but not authorized to speak publicly," Bannon wrote.
Sato brings the kind of production that makes teams pay attention. The left-handed hitter put together a huge season for Hanshin, batting .306/.383/.609 with 106 RBIs and a .991 OPS in 143 games. He also hit 39 home runs, giving him the kind of power that jumps off the page immediately.
At the same time, there’s real risk baked into the profile. Sato has swing-and-miss issues, and that’s part of the reason his fit in MLB comes with so much uncertainty.
"The Jays like Sato, just like plenty of other teams, but they’re aware of the risk in his profile," Bannon added. "The 27-year-old would be an untraditional acquisition for Toronto, given his whiff potential and the massive uncertainty about how he’ll project in MLB."
Toronto’s interest is clear, but the club would also have options for how to use him if it makes the move. John Schneider could shift Sato to first base or a corner outfield spot if the Blue Jays aren’t comfortable with his defense at third, and he could also see time at designated hitter.
In Other News...
Blue Jays Just Made A Tough Depth Chart Decision
The Blue Jays have moved on from Peyton Williams, releasing the first baseman and sending him into the market as a minor league free agent. A 2022 seventh-round pick, Williams had reached Triple-A for the first time this season and had flashed the kind of power that can keep a player on the radar even when the rest of the profile is still developing.
His exit also says something about where Toronto stands with its infield depth and roster crunches heading into the offseason. Williams was eligible for the Rule 5 Draft, but the Blue Jays never added him to the 40-man roster, leaving him exposed and now available to sign with any club that sees a clearer path for his bat. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays Just Watched The Red Sox Strike First
The Red Sox moved quickly to add some left-handed pop, agreeing to a four-year deal with Jake Bauers after his breakout 2026 season. Bauers posted career highs across several offensive categories and backed it up with strong underlying metrics, giving Boston a bat it believes can fit into the middle of the lineup without asking too much of him in the field.
For Toronto, it is another reminder that Boston is trying to reshape its offense with players who can do damage and still offer some roster flexibility. The plan is to use Bauers mostly as a designated hitter with some first-base duty mixed in, a role that suits his bat even if the glove remains a work in progress, and it gives the Blue Jays one more name to track as the division race keeps tightening. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays Suddenly Have A Real Davis Schneider Decision To Make
Davis Schneider has put the Blue Jays in an interesting spot as the November 20 non-tender deadline approaches. The utility player is reportedly drawing trade interest from other teams, according to Sportsnets Ben Nicholson-Smith, which adds another layer to a decision Toronto already had to make after a season spent bouncing between the majors and Triple-A.
Schneiders appeal is easy to understand for clubs looking for a right-handed bat, and the Red Sox are among the teams mentioned as a possible fit given his past success at Fenway Park. For Toronto, the question is no longer just whether to keep him in the organization, but whether to tender him a contract at all and risk letting a market develop around a player whose value may be more obvious to other teams than it was over the past season. [Read more 🡒]