Third Star Nippon Professional Baseball player Kazuma Okamoto traveled to the United States for a series of in-person meetings as he enters the final phase of his 45-day posting window, according to a report from Yahoo Japan (hat tip to Yakyu Cosmopolitan). Okamoto and agent Scott Boras are narrowing the field of interested clubs as Okamoto approaches the pre-January deadline for a deal.
So far, each of the Blue Jays, Pirates, Red Sox, Padres and Angels have been prominently linked to Okamoto, who turns 30 next June. The long-time Yomiuri Giants star, who was their team captain before being shipped out, is one of Japan’s most consistent hitters. He is a career .277/.361/.522 hitter in NPB who has hit 30 home runs in all but two of his 11 seasons. That includes 2025, when injuries limited him to 69 games, and 2024, when he “only” hit 27 homers in 143 games.
However, despite scoring a career-low 15 runs this past season due to an elbow injury, Okamoto had the best production of his best NPB performance on a grade basis. In 293 trips to the batter’s box, he slashed .327/.416/.598 with a solid 11.3% walk rate that matched his minuscule 11.3% strikeout rate. His 24.3% line drive rate this past season was a career high, and Okamoto’s .271 ISO (slugging percentage minus batting average) was the second-best mark of his career, trailing only his 41-homer season from 2023.
As a countryman Munetaka MurakamiOkamoto is a corner infielder whose glove work is affecting major league teams. He is considered a better third baseman than Murakami but is still viewed by many clubs as a player who will likely spend most (if not all) of his first MLB contract as a first baseman and/or designated hitter. Those defensive issues contributed greatly to Murakami getting a two-year contract that fell well short of industry expectations. The defensive concerns surrounding Okamoto are less prominent, and he doesn’t have the alarming swing-and-miss profile that has also contributed to Murakami’s bearish market. However, Okamoto is four years old. Next year being his age 30 season will likely shorten the length of his upcoming contract (though perhaps not to the same degree as Murakami’s).
Of the teams linked to Okamoto so far, there is no clear favorite. The Blue Jays may still have it Bo Bichette ahead of him on their wish list – maybe Alex Bregman like that. Boston also pursued both Bregman and Bichette (which could happen that way). The Pirates already have one option to start, signing Ryan O’Hearnand another one enters Spencer Horwitz. If they were to make a real push for Okamoto, they would need to have confidence in his ability to play third base. The Angels have a clear way to play time in the middle corners (especially third base). The Padres won’t fire Manny Machado at third base, so Okamoto will need to play first base, with Jake Cronenworth manning second base and getting KBO Sung Mun Song transition to an external or auxiliary role.
Of course, it is always heard that other unknown clubs are in the tent. OA, Mariners, Twins, Rangers, D-backs, Marlins, Mets, Cubs and Nationals all have varying degrees of questions in the infield corners. Not all of those teams have significant cash to spend this winter — the Rangers, Twins and D-backs have all been known to shed payroll compared to recent offseasons — but either team could get creative with back-loaded contract structures and/or otherwise shed payroll to make room if Okamoto is deemed a sufficient improvement. That’s a very speculative list, to be clear, but given Okamoto’s track record in NPB, it would be surprising if “only” five of MLB’s 30 teams were interested in signing him.
It’s worth noting that even though Okamoto was supposed to be posted on November 19th, MLBTR confirmed that his posting didn’t become official until Nov. 21. That pushes his window to sign a contract with a major league team from Jan. 2 to Jan. 4 original. Any club that signs him will owe the Giants a transfer/release fee equal to 5’s 7% of the original $20% contract. $25MM and 15% of any dollars after that. That amount comes on top of the contract price itself. The following benefits (club/player options, performance bonuses, award bonuses, etc.) fall under that umbrella as well, once they are legally achieved.
