Latest On Pirates’ Interest In Kazuma Okamoto

It was almost a month ago that the Pirates were first linked to Kazuma Okamoto, as The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich reported that Okamoto was one several free agent hitters the Buccos were “considering.”  The club’s interest has apparently continued, with a team source telling Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that Okamoto and the Pirates have engaged in “multiple virtual meetings.”  It isn’t known if Okamoto is planning any in-person visits to Pittsburgh or any other cities before his 45-day posting window closes on January 4.

In general, there haven’t been a ton of details about Okamoto’s efforts to arrive in Major League Baseball, apart from 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 that Willson Contreras has been acquired to play first base, and while Okamoto is primarily a third baseman, the Sox are known be pursuing Alex Bregman.  It is entirely possible Bregman will still be weighing his options by January 4, so the Red Sox might not want to make another signing in the interim that rules Bregman out.  The Jays are in something of a similar situation as they consider re-signing Bo Bichette, or potentially pivoting to another big bat like Kyle Tucker or even Bregman.

Any number of other suitors could be involved with Okamoto, of course.  With over two weeks to go before the end of his posting window, there is plenty of time for other teams to emerge, plus any shifts in the Bregman/Bichette/Tucker markets could spur some more interest from the Red Sox or Blue Jays.  As such, it’s a reach to suggest that the Pirates are any sort of favorite for Okamoto, especially given their lack of history at attracting Japanese talent…or prominent free agents in general.

MLB Trade Rumors ranked Okamoto 19th on our list of the offseason’s top 50 free agents, and projected the infielder for a four-year, $64MM contract.  That estimated price tag could represent the biggest obstacle to a deal between Okamoto and the Pirates, who have long been hesitant to spend on the open market.  Francisco Liriano’s three-year, $39MM deal from the 2014-15 offseason remains the largest free agent contract in Pittsburgh’s 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 in the range of $120MM-$125MM, and also had interest in Josh Naylor before Naylor rather quickly exited the market by re-signing with the Mariners.  The Bucs have also been linked to Ketel Marte on the trade market, and the Diamondbacks second baseman carries a hefty price tag from the extension he signed with Arizona just last spring.

To date, Pittsburgh has already added Brandon Lowe as a very prominent lineup addition via the three-team trade with the Rays and Astros that also brought Jake Mangum into the outfield mix.  Jhostynxon Garcia also arrived in the ’Burgh via a five-player deal with the Red Sox.  Those two trades saw the Pirates trade from their rotation depth by moving out Johan Oviedo and Mike Burrows, though GM Ben Cherington said his team is still looking to land another “proven bat.”

Okamoto doesn’t exactly fit this description, as the 29-year-old obviously has never seen any action in North American baseball.  There have also been some questions as to how Okamoto will be able to handle the higher velocity of MLB pitchers, and his defensive value as a third baseman is seen as solid if nothing special.  This all 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 4494 plate appearances with the Yomiuri Giants.

Signing Okamoto to a multi-year deal would provide some long-term lineup coverage, as Lowe is slated for free agency next winter.  Installing Okamoto at third base would leave Jared Triolo, Nick Gonzales, and Nick Yorke battling for middle infield playing time (when Lowe is used at DH instead of second base), yet using this group in a part-time or bench capacity only deepens the roster.  There is also the simple fact that none of the trio hit in 2025, so it is hard to imagine Okamoto wouldn’t represent some kind of upgrade for a Pittsburgh team that badly needs more offense.