The Dodgers Next Move Was Just LEAKED...

39 home runs, 106 RBIs, a .306 batting average, that is a 27-year-old third baseman. He did that in Japan's top league this year, won the Triple Crown. On Wednesday, President of Baseball Operations for the Dodgers, Andrew Friedman, was asked about his name, and he did not say a word about him. But what he did say is way more interesting than a name. He said the Dodgers will follow Japan very closely and that a couple of very talented players could be coming over. So who are the couple and when you hold up each one of them against the actual holes in this roster, who really fits? I have a favorite. It's not as simple as you think. Let me be exact about this because there's a lot of hype around there. Friedman was asked about Teruaki Sato at the end of the season press conference on the 21st of October. he declined to go into specifics but here is what he said about Japan as a whole obviously we are a big fan of the NPB and have a lot of respect for the talent in that league and it's something we follow closely and watch and then the line that matters our understanding is that there's a chance there's a couple of very talented players then he added we're going to continue to meet on that and talk about it now he did not say Sato's name and he did not go into a list of the names so we don't get to put the words in his mouth but the Dodgers have a long history with Japanese players and nobody is taking a guess why they would be watching and if we go ahead and look at the timing he said all this 11 days before posted players can start signing when a president talks about a league he follows closely right before a window opens it's really worth listening to what he's talking about and if you want more dodgers breakdowns just like this one be sure to subscribe we're currently sitting at 19,326 subscribers and i would love to get a bit further along that goal to our 20,000 mark i want to start with what makes Sato the name, this is not a one year fluke. In 2025 he hit 40 home runs and was the league's top name with an MVP win. In 2026 he followed it up with 39 home runs and the triple crown. He's 27 years old, turns 28 in March. It matters because the Dodgers are not buying a player who's going to be regressing, they're buying a player for their entire prime. The scouts like the bat speed the exit velocities, the raw power is real. You can see it. The one report says he's a potential for a 30 or more home run season in the majors he's not just a bat, he has a strong arm in right field as well and the market has a number for it Bleacher Report's Joel Verde projects him at $120 million over six years. Last winter, the White Sox gave Munetaka Murakami two years and $34 million, and CBS said Sato could command more. There's also a cost here that most fans forget. When a Japanese team posts a player, the club that signs him pays the Japanese team a fee. So, on a contract of $50 million or more, that is $9.375 million, plus 15% over everything over $50. Murakami's fee was $6.575 million, Sato's would be three times that. So the bat is there, the age is there, and the only question that the Dodgers have to answer is, where does he play? Here is the problem. Almost everywhere he could play, a Dodger already does. Max Muncy is 36, Freddie Freeman is 37, and both are signed through at least 2027. Kyle Tucker is a regular in right field, and Shohei Ohtani has the DH spot for the foreseeable future. Bleacher Report even said the Dodgers cannot plan on putting Sato at either corner infield spot or in right field. And there was a bigger knock. Sato was left-handed. The lineup is already completely filled with left-handed bats. But then there are the swings. In his last two seasons in Japan, Sato struck out in 27% of his plate appearances. One report says he chases a lot outside the zone. That his defense at third would likely cost a run And now the money And at $120 million projection The Tigers would get a posting fee of about $20 million Bleacher Report estimates the Dodgers tax payroll at just under $400 million So a $20 million fee and a $20 million salary And a $20 million more in tax Would be a little bit excessive even for him So my honest reaction Wait You don't need to chase him just yet There are bigger holes to fill on this team. There's a lot of money tied up. There's real questions to be answered. I mean, Teoscar Hernandez, very likely to be traded in this offseason. You have second base where you have Tommy Edem, Alex Freeland, Hyun-sung Kim. You can label them as a kind of a tandem that can play on second base. One outlet calls it workable, but it's a very easy spot to upgrade. The bat is the part that you cannot find every winter, which is the big thing to consider. And the holes are not only bats. MLB trade rumors call Tarik Skubal the biggest question of the winter, and the bullpen as Alex Garcia, Evan Phillips headed for free agency, Leach reports has a $200 million tax bill for Skubal, would not shock anyone, which tells you where the big money might go instead. So this is where I land. If Sato plays left field, or takes DH days, plays third, plays first on other days, as long as he's in the lineup, that's a big thing. He's the one move that raises the ceiling for this lineup, rather than patching holes. That's my opinion. Let me know what yours is in the comments below, but the cons are real. And this is one that makes the Dodgers better in October, in my opinion. Now, before we do get into the other names, here is how I judge each one. So I don't take just vibe into consideration. Does he fill a hole on the roster? Can he help in October, not just in the regular season? Is the cost worth it? Every name has pros and cons. We're going to answer in those three questions. So my name one, Shugo Maki, A 28-year-old second baseman for the Yokohama Bay Stars, his career mark is a 153 WRC plus in the NPB, and one report has him at 181 this year, even though he missed eight weeks with a hamstring injury. So the pro here being that he plays second base, the biggest and easiest upgraded position for the Dodgers. But the cons? The report says holding down second base isn't in the doubt, and that he's really not the best slugger for a first base every day. So on top of that, he's not even confirmed to be posted. But name two, Kaima Taira, a 26-year-old right-handed hitter for the Saitama Seibu Lions. In 2026, he went 12-5 with a 1.36 ERA, over 146 innings, with 141 strikeouts and 45 walks. His career ERA in Japan is 1.78. So the pros here are pretty big. His fastball reportedly tops out at over 100 miles an hour. He has a splitter as a legit strikeout pitch. The cons. He's listed at 5'8". He has two full seasons as a starter. Many front offices see him as a reliever, something that the Dodgers could consider. Reportedly, he is a Scott Boras client, which means, short deal, he can bet on himself. And name three. Hiroki Ito, a 28-year-old right-hander for the Hokkaido Fighters in 2025. He won the Sawamura Award going 14-8 with a 2.52 ERA, 195 strikeouts, 196 2/3 innings. In 2026, he was solid, not great, a 3.33 ERA in 164 2/3 innings. With some pretty big pros here who has a very good command, a mix of nearly 12 pitches and grips, shapes, he has a durable arm. Compared to Sonny Gray by some evaluators, the con is that he's not a flamethrower. His fastball sits at around 90-92 miles an hour for much of 2026, he's 5'9", gave up 5 home runs in the first 3 starts of the season. And name 4, Hiroto Saiki, a 27 year old right hander from Hanshin, since 2022 he has a 1.87 ERA, and this year his 29.4% strikeout rate was the best in the NPB, but Hanshin did not post him last winter, so nobody has said they will this time. So here's how I'm going to rank him for the Dodgers, this is my opinion once again. Number one, I'm going Teruaki Sato. I mean, I don't care about the cons. His ceiling is insane. And even though there are a few holes the Dodgers have that are probably bigger ones, I feel like Sato is very difficult to pass up on. But number two is Tyra. A pitcher who has a 1.36 ERA, throws gas 100 mile an hour plus, very hard to ignore. But this is an option where we could see him in the bullpen. We could see him replace some big names. We could see him as a starter. It's interesting with Alex Vesia, Tarek Skubal both going to be free agents this summer for the Dodgers. Number three is Shugo Maki. Second base is a question and stays open. He's a very, very interesting option. And number four is Ito, a dependable arm. The Dodgers do not need, but Saiki is also a name to watch. Here's the timeline that we need to watch. The Hanshin Tigers approved Sato's posting request on October 19th. Jeff Passan reports that Sato, Tyra and Ito are expected to be posted in early November once posted a player's 45 days to sign but here's the second and likely the bigger clock of the two the current CBA that's set to expire on December 1st 11:59 p.m. eastern time a lockout would pause that 45 day window so the Dodgers may not have all the time that the rules give them and here's what could very well change my mind that if Sato's price climbs well past the projection something that the Dodgers are not confident in giving. They may decide to go elsewhere. Big money on Tarek Skubal or Tyra, he may move up to number one with a very intriguing arm there, because as we know, a pitcher at that age, cheaper than many pitchers, has a very rare arm. That's something that could very well play in their favor, and that's probably how I would play it if I were in the Andrew Freeman shoes. So this is the answer. Andrew Freeman would not say a name, but the Dodgers watch Sato hit 39 home runs. They have a lineup that's full of left-handed hitters. They have a few holes, but if they do chase him, the real fight is about fit, not talent. Which one would you take of the names I listed here?