The Chicago Cubs have for years been trying to build out a pipeline into Japan, where they could benefit from the tremendous talent that frequently comes over from the top league there, the NPB, to Major League Baseball. They’ve created support structures to help players like Seiya Suzuki and Shota Imanaga thrive not only in the league but also in Chicago and in the United States, and it is tremendously valuable to keep that process going year to year.
Of course, each of Suzuki and Imanaga are set to be free agents after this season, and it’s unclear whether they will return to the Cubs in 2027.
For that reason, in addition to the simple “getting lots of talent from wherever is good” reason, I pay close attention to reports like this:
Scouts from 10 MLB teams — including the Dodgers, Cubs, Yankees, Cardinals, Mets, Angels, Diamondbacks, Reds, Tigers, and Rangers — were reportedly in attendance at Koshien Stadium to watch 3B Teruaki Sato last night, but the game was rained out. t.co/yYXQjwEoCS
— Yakyu Cosmopolitan (@yakyucosmo) May 22, 2026As always, some of this is just normal scouting work on a player who (1) might become available via the posting system after the season, (2) might be a player you want to try to sign, and (3) might wind up one some other club you’ll end up facing. Being one of ten+ teams looking at a guy in May does not mean the Cubs are expected to be in an active pursuit. That’ll come later, if at all.
This is not the first mention of Teruaki Sato as a possible big offseason candidate, because he’s been a star for a while, coming up on that age (27/28) where we see NPB stars posted rather than kept until free agency (at which point the NPB club could no longer recoup a posting fee). But it’s the first time there was a direct mention of the Cubs, who, by the way, faced Sato’s Hanshin Tigers last spring in an exhibition game as part of the Tokyo Series.
As Michael points out, Sato’s walk year-and-a-half so far compares favorably to that of Seiya Suzuki when he was finishing up in the NPB:
Age-26 seasons in the NPB– Seiya Suzuki: 38 HRs, 1.072 OPS– Teruaki Sato: 40 HRs, .924 OPS**and he’s at 1.191 OPS this year, age 27 t.co/fGrJ9BKLpZ
— Michael Cerami (@Michael_Cerami) May 22, 2026The numbers are increasingly jaw-dropping for Sato:
(via FanGraphs)No player is a guarantee to succeed against MLB pitching, but, on paper, Sato looks like as good of a bet as anyone.
Teruaki Sato has primarily played third base in Japan, but he does have plenty of exposure in the corner outfield, as well. So, at least as far as the Cubs are concerned, there’d be no reason they couldn’t pursue him if they believe he projects well.
It’s early. Very, very, very early. We don’t even know how the looming lockout will impact the posting decisions involving big-time players like Sato. For now, this is just a player to get on your radar, because the Cubs are at least doing their due diligence, there’s a superficial fit, and he might be a star.
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