Teruaki Sato rumors suggest Mariners are in for another whiff on a Japanese slugger

It may be a little premature to discuss the offseason, but the grind of roster construction never really stops. Front offices are always looking out for the hottest prospects and free agents and even with an impending labor stoppage, teams are starting to set their eyes on Teruaki Sato, a third baseman for the Hanshin Tigers.

Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like the Mariners are one of the interested parties.

Passing on Teruaki Sato could be another big free agent miss for Seattle this offseason

Rumors of Sato being posted have been going around for quite some time but given his success this year, he's almost certainly going to be competing in MLB in 2027. Across 446 plate appearances for the Tigers, he's hitting to a 1.013 OPS with 27 home runs and 29 doubles. He has become one of the greatest power bats in NPB and despite the league going through an offensive slump as a whole, his numbers haven't been affected.

For that reason, the usual gaggle of big market teams have already been linked as suitors. Jon Heyman of the New York Post has the Mets, Yankees, Dodgers, and Phillies leading the pack as per usual and the Mariners haven't been mentioned expressing interest. This is reminiscent of a similar situation last year where there were not one but two sluggers coming over from NPB that the Mariners failed to land: Kazuma Okamoto and Munetaka Murakami.

In his final NPB season with the Yomiuri Giants, Okamoto posted a 1.014 OPS over 293 plate appearances. It capped off an illustrious career in Japan that spanned 11 seasons, and he was an alluring option at third base. There were some concerns about his fielding viability, but he has played perfectly average defense across 960 innings of third base thus far. He eventually signed a four-year, $60 million contract which was seemingly more than Seattle was willing to pay.

Munetaka Murakami had more uncertainty surrounding his ability to translate his power to MLB, particularly due to his poor results when facing higher velocity. However, since arriving in Chicago, he hasn't had a problem being one of the best hitters around, posting a 150 wRC+, fourth in MLB among qualified hitters. He signed just a two-year, $34 million contract which was significantly smaller than the nine-figure deal many thought he would agree to but somehow, the Mariners missed out on him too.

The Mariners have their hands full worrying about saving their 2026 season but there are already signs that third base will be something to worry about soon. Since returning from the injured list, Brendan Donovan has posted a 44 wRC+ in 40 plate appearances. Whether Seattle makes the postseason or not, he may not be what they need at the hot corner moving forward.

Sato won't come cheap, especially if he's already being courted by some of the biggest payrolls in the game, but it's discouraging that the Mariners haven't at least thrown their hat in the ring. Maintaining the status quo hasn't exactly produced the results the organization has hoped for and Sato is a talent that may warrant upping their risk appetite. Nonetheless, it seems like he's another free agent opportunity that will pass the team by, possibly along with the hopes of being a serious World Series contender once again.

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