Japanese star Teruaki Sato adds fascinating layer to free agency — one ex-Met has seen the upside up close

The Yankees can envision a big-time, lefty-hitting slugger who solves their third base problems. 

The Mets can envision a belated, high-upside replacement for Pete Alonso at first base. 

Some teams will see a middle-of-the-order bat in a free-agent market that has few. Others will see a high-risk player with obvious flaws, including a swing-and-miss issue that was on display even against lesser pitching and a lack of a definitive defensive home. 

How teams project Teruaki Sato, who is 27 and coming off a Triple Crown and MVP season in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball league, will be fascinating, given the wide range of outcomes and the dearth of other available options.