On Wednesday, we learned that the Toronto Blue Jays are reportedly one of the teams interested in Japanese slugger Teruaki Sato this offseason.

Now, "interest" can mean a lot of different things. Are the Blue Jays just doing due diligence, or are they seriously planning to make an offer? Nobody knows just yet, but we do know this: This process is going to move fast.

From the time that Sato is officially posted by the Hanshin Tigers, he'll have 45 days to sign with a big league team. However, that 45 days is likely to be cut once the MLB lockout takes hold, likely on Dec. 2. So, if the Blue Jays are preparing an offer, they need to be ready to go once free agency opens up five days after the World Series.

Sato is 27 years old and he's spent his entire career with the Tigers of the NPB. Lifetime, he's a .273 hitter with 167 home runs and 542 RBIs. He's coming off a 2026 season where he hit .306 with 39 home runs and 106 RBIs. He won the Triple Crown.

He also represented Japan at the 2026 World Baseball Classic, hitting .300 with a .417 on-base percentage. Defensively, he played 125 games at third base and 18 in the outfield.

Of course they should! Toronto finished last in the majors in runs scored and last in home runs. They need all the offensive help they can get, and this is a relatively light free agent class. Randy Arozarena and Seiya Suzuki represent good bats for them to choose from, but the Jays absolutely should be talking with Sato's people.

The Jays signed Kazuma Okamoto to a four-year deal last season and he played an integral role. He might even win Rookie of the Year in the American League. The Blue Jays are gaining a foothold in Japan, and that's good for both baseball and business. If they have another chance to bite the apple, they should take it.

As always, money is the biggest question. How much money will Sato want and how does the labor situation play into things? But beyond that, how does Sato even fit on the roster? He played most of his games at third base last season, which is where Okamoto played.

1) Is the team prepared to play Sato in the outfield alongside Brett Bateman and Addison Barger? That's three left-handed hitting outfielders though.

2) Is the team prepared to move Okamoto, who's 30 years old, to the outfield? That wouldn't necessarily help the Jays defensively.

3) Is someone going to move to designated hitter? That makes sense, but what happens to Anthony Santander, who still has three years and nearly $50 million remaining on his deal? Is he headed to the outfield?