The Padres and Angels are among the teams that have shown interest in the outfielder Kazuma Okamotoaccording to a report from Franchys Romero of BeisbolFR. Romero also spoke of interest from the Pirates side, who have been in regular contact with Okamoto in recent weeks. The forward is nearing the end of his 45-day window, which ends on January 4.
Okamoto, 29, is coming off a season in which he appeared in 69 Central League games for NPB’s Yomiuri Giants. The pitcher hit .327/.416/598 in 293 trips to the plate for Yomiuri last year. That was good for an otherworldly 210 wRC+, as he slugged 15 homers with 21 doubles while posting similar 11.3% strikeout and walk rates. That stretch of a hot season doesn’t reflect Okamoto’s entire career, but his numbers are still impressive even over a large sample size. Since making his Central League debut back in 2018 at the age of 22, Okamoto has never hit fewer than 27 homers in a season. He has walked at a clip of 9.6% or better every season of his career and has struck out over 20% just once, back in 2019 at age 23. Okamoto’s career .277/.361/.521 slash line in NPB play puts him in league with current MLB sluggers like Shohei Ohtani again Seiya Suzukialthough it should be noted that there were concerns among scouts about Okamoto’s ability to hit high speed.
A defensive third baseman with plenty of experience at first base as well, Okamoto could make sense as an addition to either corner of the infield depending on the needs of his winning team. If he were to sign with the Angels, Okamoto would be manning the hot corner. Yoan Moncada is a free agent after managing Anaheim for the third time this past year, too Anthony Rendon figures to retire after an injury-riddled career with the Angels. That leaves playing time open at third base, and the Angels have been vocal about their desire to bring in help at the position this winter. While Okamoto (like any free agent coming from NPB) comes with risk, it’s easy to see him providing an upgrade over in-house options like Oswald Peraza again Vaughn Grissom.
Conversely, it seems more likely that Okamoto will manage first base for San Diego. Manny Machado he’s slotted in as the Padres’ third baseman for now, and the Hall of Famer has the better part of a decade left on his massive contract extension with the team. First base, however, is somewhat vacant after the departure of Luis Arraez in free agency earlier this winter. Gavin Sheets again Sung Mun Song they seem ready to compete for playing time at the position, but both are lefties and are better suited to other positions than starting. That would make Okamoto a very attractive addition, providing a solid right-handed bat at the position while leaving room for Sheets and/or Song to find occasional answers based on matchups.
MLBTR projected a four-year, $64MM contract for Okamoto at the start of the offseason. Whether any club would be willing to spend at that level to bring Okamoto into the fold remains to be seen. The Padres spent a lot of money this season outside of Song and right-hander Michael Kingbut after doing so they are pushing the boundaries of the club’s reported budget and it seems they may be trying to take salary out of another area of the roster rather than putting it back in the fold. As for the Angels, it’s been a very quiet season in Anaheim without much spending. That would mean there’s room in the budget to add a bat like Okamoto, but it’s also fair to wonder if a team that has been reluctant to spend significant dollars on position players in free agency in the years since Rendon’s disastrous contract would be willing to release a third baseman’s multi-year deal before their previous third baseman’s contract expires.
There are other Okamoto services nurses should keep in mind, too. The Pirates have been the team most likely to be linked with Okamoto, and it wouldn’t be too much of a shock to see them go through an incredibly difficult season if the club is facing third place. He has been linked to the Blue Jays and Red Sox this offseason as well, although both of these big-market clubs seem to be focusing on big fish like. Alex Bregman again Bo Bichette at the moment. Given the approaching end of Okamoto’s posting window, there is a good chance that Okamoto will sign before Bregman or Bichette see their market decision. That could make a deal with Boston or Toronto less likely, if those two clubs hesitate to fill a roster spot that might be reserved for a high-impact player.
