Overall, there aren’t many details about Okamoto’s attempts to get into Major League Baseball, other than reports that the Red Sox and Blue Jays are involved in his market along with the Pirates. Boston may be a less likely suitor now Willson Contreras has been acquired to play first base, and although Okamoto is primarily a third baseman, the Sox have been known to chase Alex Bregman. It’s entirely possible that Bregman will still be weighing his options on January 4, so the Red Sox may not want to sign another contract that would rule out Bregman in the meantime. The Jays are in a similar situation and are considering signing a new contract Bo Bichetteor possibly turning towards another large bat such as Kyle Tucker or even Bregman.
A number of other suitors could obviously be involved with Okamoto. With just over two weeks to go before the end of his post window, there’s plenty of time for other teams to emerge, and any moves in the Bregman/Bichette/Tucker markets could draw some more interest from the Red Sox or Blue Jays. As such, it’s a good reason to suggest the Pirates are a favorite for Okamoto, especially given their lack of history of signing Japanese talent… or prominent free agents in general.
MLB Trade Rumors ranked Okamoto 19th on our list of the top 50 free agents this offseason, predicting the infielder would get a four-year contract worth $64 million. That estimated price tag could be the biggest obstacle to a deal between Okamoto and the Pirates, who have long been hesitant to spend money on the open market. Francisco LirianoThe three-year, $39 million deal from the 2014-15 season remains the largest free agent contract in Pittsburgh history, though the team’s actions this winter indicate that owner Robert Nutting may (finally) be more willing to open the checkbook.
The Pirates were reportedly willing to give Kyle Schwarber a four-year deal between $120 million and $125 million, and there was also interest in it Josh Naylor before Naylor left the market quite quickly by re-signing with the Mariners. The Bucs have also been linked to Kettle Marte on the trade market, and the Diamondbacks second baseman carries a hefty price tag due to the extension he signed with Arizona last spring.
To date, Pittsburgh has already added to it Brandon Lowe as a very prominent addition to the lineup via the three-team trade with the Rays and Astros that also brought with it Jake Mangum in the outfield mix. Jhostynxon Garcia also arrived in the ‘Burgh via a five-player deal with the Red Sox. Those two trades caused the Pirates to trade from their rotation depth by moving outside Johan Oviedo And Mike Burrowsalthough GM Ben Cherington said his team is still looking for a new “proven bat.”
Okamoto doesn’t quite fit that description, as the 29-year-old has clearly never seen any action in North American baseball. There have also been some questions raised about how Okamoto will be able to handle the higher speed of MLB pitchers, and his defensive value as a third baseman is seen as solid, but nothing special. All that said, Okamoto has been one of Japan’s best hitters for years, with a career .277/.361/.521 slash line and 248 home runs over his 4,494 plate appearances with the Yomiuri Giants.
Signing Okamoto to a multi-year deal would set up a long-term lineup as Lowe is set to be a free agent next winter. Installing Okamoto at third base would leave Jared Triolo, Nick GonzalesAnd Nick Yorke competing for playing time in center infield (when Lowe is used at DH instead of second base), but using this group in a part-time or bench capacity only deepens the roster. There’s also the simple fact that none of the trio hit in 2025, so it’s hard to imagine Okamoto not being some sort of upgrade for a Pittsburgh team in desperate need of more offense.
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