Teruaki Sato's unconventional MLB posting should give Guardians fans Munetaka Murakami flashbacks

Normally Guardians fans don’t really have to spend a lot of brain power worrying about the international signing window. While the window has brought numerous stars over to MLB from Japan, the Guardians never seem to be in play for any of the players who are posted. 

In fact, almost every international player ends up on the West Coast and/or with one of MLB’s marquee franchises. Emphasis on almost. 

Last offseason the White Sox shocked MLB when they signed slugging Japanese first baseman Munetaka Murakami to a two-year, $34 million contract — a far cry from the $100+ million contract some industry insiders thought he was going to sign. 

That same thing could happen again this offseason with Japanese slugger Teruaki Sato, who is set to be posted this winter one year after he won Nippon Professional Baseball’s Triple Crown. But, according to industry hubbub, he may also have to settle for a smaller contract due to some concerns about his game. 

That’s not going to be enough to add him to the Guardians’ roster picture, but it may be enough for another smaller-market team to flex some muscle and get him à la Murakami last season. 

Teruaki Sato could sign a smaller contract with one of the Guardians' rivals

Although Murakami’s small contract may seem foolish at face value given he was an All-Star who should finish the year with a top-three finish in Rookie of the Year, the same concerns that plagued him in Japan followed over to MLB. Yes, he slugged 35 home runs, but he also finished the year with a .207 batting average and 196 strikeouts while ranking in the bottom percentile in whiff rate. 

Still, he showed his power against Cleveland this year with a .886 OPS in five games against the Guardians in the regular season before hitting a big two-run homer in Game 1 of the ALDS. He may not be a complete player, but he has the power to change every game.

Sato has a chance to make that same kind of impact, as he finished last season with a .306/.383/.609 slashline with 39 home runs and 106 RBI. But his serious swing-and-miss potential and malleable defensive position may be enough to give teams some pause. 

And it’s not just those factors that could impact his free agency, the impending lockout could also come right in the middle of his posting window. If he doesn’t sign before the impending lockout on Dec. 1, his posting window would be paused until the lockout ends. 

All those factors could lead to Sato falling into the price range for an American League middle-market team. If that happens, it won’t take long for him to become a Guardians villain.

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