​Red Sox Have Perfect Japanese Superstar to Pursue This Winter After Report originally appeared on NESN.
Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.As the Boston Red Sox prepare for the rest of the season, the focus is on how the team will play in October. The Red Sox have been one of the better teams in baseball for much of the season and have a real chance to win a World Series. However, one could argue this offseason will be just as important as any for the Red Sox, as they have a chance to compete for a long time but could still use help in other areas.There are many ways for any team in baseball to improve, but the Red Sox adding another infielder, specifically at third or second base, should be viewed as a priority. There are going to be fewer players available this offseason than the Red Sox would probably like in terms of impact players, but there’s one Japanese slugger who really could be a nice fit in Boston if his team decides to post him. According to Jeff Passan, Teruaki Sato is expected to be posted. The Red Sox should be all over the 27-year-old home run hitter.“Teruaki Sato is a 27-year-old third baseman, and if the Hanshin Tigers post him as expected, he could become the first reigning position-playing NPB MVP to join MLB since Hideki Matsui in 2003. At 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds, the left-handed-hitting Sato is slashing .320/.398/.636 with 35 home runs and 92 RBIs in 122 games in an offense-starved Nippon Professional Baseball. “Not only are his traditional Triple Crown numbers leading the Central League, so are all three of those slash numbers,” Jeff Passan wrote.Sato is an interesting player in his own right. There’s always some worry about guys coming over from Japan and competing at the highest level of Major League Baseball. However, in the NPB this year, he’s hit 35 home runs and has a 1.026 OPS. He’s the exact type of guy who would fit in with what the Red Sox are looking to do and should be viewed as a serious candidate to come in and make some noise. https://nesn.com/boston-red-sox/news/red-sox-set-pitching-matchups-crucial-rangers-series/7e24fa233776848e6bba0ade