Two star Japanese free agents that should interest the Braves

The Braves haven’t been in the business of signing Japanese free agents very often, but the success other clubs have had bringing them in has been eye-opening.

Shohei Ohtani is now the face of baseball. Yoshinobu Yamamoto already has a World Series MVP under his belt. Seiya Suzuki will be among the league’s most coveted free agents in this year’s class following five stellar seasons with the Cubs. Kodai Senga was an ace before injuries struck. And most recently, Munetaka Murakami helped turn the Chicago White Sox from a laughingstock into a playoff team in a single season, smacking 35 home runs.

Clubs that fail to do their due diligence on players posted from Japan aren’t ones serious about winning — and there are a couple set to come overseas this offseason who fit two of the Braves’ biggest needs.

Teruaki Sato

Slugging third baseman/outfielder Teruaki Sato could end up being the best offensive free agent signed this offseason. He’s fresh off winning the Triple Crown in Japan, hitting .306 with 39 home runs and 106 RBIs to go along with a .991 OPS. That comes after a season in which he mashed 40 home runs and posted a .924 OPS.

For comparison, in his last full season with the Yakult Swallows, Murakami hit 33 home runs with an .851 OPS. Seiya Suzuki hit 38 home runs with a 1.067 OPS before he left, so Sato’s numbers are very comparable to two players who recently made the switch to Major League Baseball and immediately contributed at an All-Star level.

Sato will be 28 next season, so slightly older than Suzuki and Murakami were when they joined MLB. Both of those guys signed very reasonable deals — Suzuki for five years, $85 million, and Murakami for two years, $34 million.

Unfortunately, the Braves — and any other team, for that matter — probably won’t be as lucky this time around. There’s clearly been a hesitancy around the league to throw gobs of cash at players from Japan, particularly ones whose value relies almost exclusively on offensive production. Otherwise, a player like Murakami would have easily signed for north of $100 million.

That fear of missing out should create quite the market for Sato this offseason, and it doesn’t hurt that the list of slugging bats set to test free agency is a very short one. Sato could easily command anywhere from $100-150 million, but if he hits anything like his countrymen, that figure could prove to be a bargain.

Hiromi Itoh

Itoh won the Sawamura Award — essentially the Japanese version of the Cy Young — in 2025, posting a 2.52 ERA over 27 starts. He doesn’t have overpowering stuff, with a fastball that sits in the low-90s and touches 96, but he makes up for it with elite control and a deep arsenal of pitches and grips to keep hitters off balance.

Obviously, in today’s game, where everything is about velocity, there are questions about how Itoh’s success will translate to Major League Baseball. He’s probably more of a mid-rotation arm than an ace, and some even believe he’s better suited for a relief role, where his velocity could tick up over shorter stints.

But whether he’s a starter or a reliever, Itoh should be on the Braves’ radar, because they need both. Atlanta really should be looking to add at least two arms to the rotation, and the bullpen could use just as much help. Raisel Iglesias is set to hit free agency, and the expectation is that the Braves will stretch Didier Fuentes out as a starter to begin next season. Those were Atlanta’s two most valuable relievers this year, and now they need to be replaced.

—

Photo: IMAGO / AFLOSPORT