One year after signing Japanese star Kazuma Okamoto to a multi-year deal, the Toronto Blue Jays are reportedly interested in another NPB standout: Teruaki Sato.

That report came on social media, and though it's in Japanese, it's clear that Toronto is interested, along with the New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies. 

Here's what you need to know.

Sato is 27 years old and he's spent his entire career with the Hanshin 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.

Sato is set to be posted by the Tigers and once that posting is official, he's got 45 days to sign. However, the MLB lockout is likely to take hold on Dec. 2, which will shrink Sato's negotiating window to basically Nov. 1-Dec. 1. He could wait to be posted until after the lockout ends, but that would be an even shorter period between the lockout ending and the start of spring training, presumably.

Given the Blue Jays reputation as big spenders, there's always a chance that Toronto is being floated out there for leverage purposes. Teams have historically used the Jays to drive up the prices on other organizations.

That said, I'd have to think the Jays are legitimately interested. Guys who win Triple Crowns don't grow on trees, and the Jays are in no position to balk at offense after finishing last in the league in runs scored this season.

That's a great question. They could put him at third base and move Okamoto to the designated hitter spot, but what happens to Anthony Santander?

They could move Okamoto to the outfield with him serving as the right-handed hitting outfielder I've said they need, but is he really suited to play out there continuously? It doesn't seem like that.

And could the Jays put Sato in the outfield full-time? That would be yet another left-handed hitter in a group that's already too left-handed.