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NPB’s Hanshin Tigers agree to post Teruaki Satō
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Photo credit: © Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Cynthia Ryley Delaney
Oct 19, 2026, 20:00 EDTUpdated: Oct 19, 2026, 17:02 EDT
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One of the best bats available in free agency is reportedly hitting the market officially.
According to numerous sources, Nippon Professional Baseball’s Hanshin Tigers have agreed to post third baseman Teruaki Satō this off-season, making him one of the most coveted free agent bats.
The posting window begins on November 1st and after a posting, MLB teams have 45 days to sign a NPB-posted player. This off-season won’t be like others, as a team will have to act fast to sign the 27-year-old thanks to the looming lockout on December 1st.
Unlike international free agents, any posted player over the age of 25 won’t count toward a team’s IFA bonus pool money. That means the Jays or whatever other team can sign Satō and other posted free agents to typical contracts, though some additional money goes to the team posting the player.
It’s easy to see the Toronto Blue Jays being interested in the 27-year-old. Satō mainly plays third base, but has some experience playing right field. Heading into the off-season, the Blue Jays’ biggest need is a corner outfield bat and a second baseman, ideally with some pop in their bat as the team finished with an MLB-low 152 home runs.
Satō fits both categories. In 2026, the slugger slashed .306/.383/.609 with 39 home runs, winning the triple crown. His batting average was up from last season (.277), but he hit one-fewer home runs in 17 additional plate appearances. With power comes some swing and miss, as Satō finished the year with a 26.7 K%.
Adding Satō to the lineup instantly gives them another power threat. Last season, Kazuma Okamoto was the only real power threat in the lineup, mashing 33 home runs. It’s also a good example of the Blue Jays ramping up efforts to sign players playing or from the Pacific Rim. 
In addition to signing Okamoto last off-season, they also signed Cody Ponce out of Korea, as well as a handful of prospects through the IFA system in the past two seasons. This doesn’t even mention their efforts to sign Shohei Ohtani during the 2023-24 off-season and Rōki Sasaki during the 2024-25 off-season.
It’ll be interesting to see where Satō ends up, but wouldn’t it be great for the Blue Jays to add a bat like his?
Cynthia Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, DFOEdmonton, and DFOCalgary. She can be followed on Twitter @CynthiaRDelaney.
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