The New York Mets have thrown a lot of money at their problems and not solved them yet.
But the best way to try and fix that might simply involve more money — and if the Mets can pull it off, it might involve Teruaki Sato, the Japanese slugger.
Sato is going to be chased after by a lot of MLB teams, including some of the other richest clubs in the sport.
The Mets certainly would have some reason to go after him, though, particularly coming off a brutally disappointing 2026 season. It could be a strong statement for the Mets to keep their heads up and try to land Sato.
The baseball world moved a small step in the direction of someone signing Sato with the news that came out on Sunday.
Teruaki Sato Posted: What it Means
Sato was officially posted on Sunday, according to MLB.com.
Being posted opens up his window to sign with an MLB team. For a player to leave Japan’s NPB while still under contract, their team has to post them. It opens up a window for that player to sign and come stateside.
The Hanshin Tigers, Sato’s only team he has played for in Japan, made it official on Sunday, Nov. 1 that Sato is posted. There is now an official timeline for him to sign.
The timeline aligns with the way this specific offseason is going to be structured in baseball, because it allows for a month for Sato to sign before MLB conceptually goes to a lockout on Dec. 1.
This is how MLB.com explains the process to come for Sato:
“All 30 MLB teams will have a 45-day window to negotiate with Sato. As Sato is over 25 years old, there will be no restrictions on the deal he signs with his new MLB club, unlike when the Dodgers had to use international bonus pool money to acquire 23-year-old Roki Sasaki ahead of the 2025 season. Hanshin will additionally receive a to-be-determined “release fee” based on the value of Sato’s contract with his new MLB club. In the unlikely event Sato does not reach an agreement with an MLB team before his 45-day posting window ends, he would return to Hanshin for 2027 and cannot be posted again until next offseason.”
One team is going to get the chance to sign Sato before the lockout goes into place, and that’ll be a big win early in the offseason.
Mets and Teruaki Sato
MLB insider Jon Heyman previously has listed four teams who could be after Sato: the Phillies, Mets, Yankees and Dodgers.
Other reports have also included the Blue Jays in the potential mix for the power-hitting lefty.
The Mets certainly have just about as much money as anyone with owner Steve Cohen, if he wants to keep shelling it out in an effort to improve this product.
Bo Bichette is at third base for the Mets for another year, which could force Sato to play first — or force Bichette to move to second base and start an odd domino effect.
The positional arrangement is a dilemma for later, though. For now, the Mets would just feel a lot better about where their team is heading if they signed Sato.
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