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Top 10 Landing Spots for Japanese Slugger Kazuma Okamoto After MLB Posting
Yet another Japanese star is set to make the leap to Major League Baseball, and this one packs a powerful bat and a useful glove at third base.
We're talking about Kazuma Okamoto, who is due to be posted by the Yomiuri Giants on Wednesday. This will kick off a 45-day negotiating window for the 29-year-old, who will be represented by Scott Boras.
Okamoto is a six-time NPB All-Star who hit at least 30 home runs annually between 2018 and 2023, with a peak of 41. He slipped to 27 homers in 2024 and then to only 15 in 77 games due to an elbow injury this year, but he did achieve career-bests with a .322 average and .411 on-base percentage.
Okamoto is older than his slugging compatriot, Munetaka Murakami, and he likely doesn't have as much upside. Yet Eric Longenhagen and James Fegan of FanGraphs have characterized Okamoto as the "bumper bowling version" of the two players, mostly owing to less frequent strikeouts and improved performance against velocity. He is also seen as a playable third baseman.
Though Okamoto does not rank among Tim Kelly's top 25 free agents, MLB Trade Rumors ranked him at No. 19 with a contract projection of four years, $64 million. Even if his signing team will also have to pay a posting fee to Yomiuri, he's a relatively affordable power source.
With all this in mind, let's rank 10 potential landing spots for Okamoto according to how much sense he makes from both fit and financial perspectives.
10. Philadelphia Phillies
1 of 10
Projected 3B for 2026: Alec Bohm
Projected 3B WAR for 2026: 2.5
The Phillies are ripe for an offseason overhaul, and it can't be as simple as re-signing Kyle Schwarber, trading Nick Castellanos and then calling it a day.
This is a team that needs to make upgrades, and third base is a prime candidate for that kind of treatment. Bohm is a solid player, but he also is what he is at this point: a .280-ish hitter with limited power and a fringy glove.
Okamoto would give the Phillies 30-homer upside at the hot corner, and potentially even more than that. There aren't many places better for sluggers than Citizens Bank Park, which ranks fourth in Statcast's park factor for home runs for the last three years.
And yet, a new third baseman is certainly more of a want than a need for the Phillies. Beyond re-signing Schwarber, they should prioritize retaining or replacing J.T. Realmuto and shoring up their depth in their outfield and bullpen.
9. Chicago Cubs
2 of 10
Projected 3B for 2026: Matt Shaw
Projected 3B WAR for 2026: 3.2
According to Defensive Runs Saved, Shaw was a top-three defender at the hot corner this year. So if the Cubs did pivot from him to Okamoto, they would have to expect a defensive downturn.
However, the potential offensive upturn would arguably be worth it.
The Cubs only got 11 home runs from third base this year, a figure that ranked ahead of only three teams. This problem no longer exists in a vacuum, as the Cubs will need as much offense they can get elsewhere if they lose Kyle Tucker from their lineup this winter—which almost feels like a given at this point.
And yet, this is probably another case of a want, not a need. Even after retaining Shota Imanaga, the Cubs have more pressing work to do with their pitching staff. It's also not as if Shaw's bat is hopeless, as he finished 2025 with a .839 OPS and 11 home runs in the second half.
8. New York Yankees
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Projected 3B for 2026: Ryan McMahon
Projected 3B WAR for 2026: 2.1
By GM Brian Cashman's own admission, "too many years" have passed since the Yankees featured a Japanese star. With so many options on the market, that should change this winter.
Munetaka Murakami and right-hander Tatsuya Imai are arguably better options than Okamoto in this regard, but both also figure to be more expensive. As the Yankees need to save space to re-sign or replace Cody Bellinger and flesh out their pitching depth, going for the more affordable Okamoto may be their best option.
It wouldn't be hard for him to be an instant upgrade over McMahon at third base. The 30-year-old is a terrific defender, but the Yankees got an up-close look at his offensive volatility down the stretch of 2025. He had only a .641 OPS in 54 games after coming over from the Colorado Rockies.
The real worry should be whether Okamoto has the right swing for Yankee Stadium. It plays to lefties more than righties just in general, and he's a right-handed hitter whose power is overwhelmingly to his pull side. That doesn't fly at Yankee Stadium, which might be the worst park for right-handed pull-power types.
7. Los Angeles Angels
4 of 10
Projected 3B for 2026: Denzer Guzman
Projected 3B WAR for 2026: 1.2
Anthony Rendon is still on the Angels' payroll for one more year, but when it comes to him actually suiting up again...yeah, that ship seems to have sailed.
What matters for the meantime is that the Angels are trying to take another step forward after a nine-win improvement from 2024 to 2025. Third base is crying out for an upgrade that would help, and the Angels seem to have the money to pursue one of the better options on the market.
Okamoto would fit them well just in the sense that he's a power-first bat. Somewhat quietly, the Angels built an identity on the long ball this year, launching 226 of them to rank fourth in all of MLB.
However, Angel Stadium is another tough place for right-handed pull-power guys. The club also doesn't have the best reputation with players right now, including for reasons that aren't even related to its 11-year playoff drought.
6. San Diego Padres
5 of 10
Projected 3B for 2026: Manny Machado
Projected 3B WAR for 2026: 3.7
There are obvious complications here, starting with how the Padres are just fine at third base. Machado just had a 4.1-rWAR season that netted him a second straight Silver Slugger.
There's also the Padres' financial situation, which is not great. They seemingly have precious little payroll space to work with, and ownership began teasing a possible sale of the franchise last week.
And yet, Okamoto could slot across the diamond from Machado at first base, where Luis Arraez had been a regular before filing for free agency. His primary function would be to add more power to a lineup that ranked 28th in the league with 152 home runs.
But since moving to first base might not be Okamoto's idea of a good time, it's possible the Padres would have to overpay to get him to say yes. Even with their extraordinary rise in attendance at Petco Park, that could be easier said than done given the circumstances.
5. Miami Marlins
6 of 10
Projected 3B for 2026: Connor Norby
Projected 3B WAR for 2026: 1.9
The Marlins? As a big spender in free agency?
These two things haven't traditionally gone together, but reporting from Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic states the Fish are "showing a greater interest in spending than in the past." They certainly should be, as they might have made the playoffs this year if they'd had a better offense.
Okamoto could help said offense by infusing more power, which is what the Marlins really need. They hit only 154 home runs this year, just two more than the Padres and the fewest of any team in the NL East.
Trouble is, LoanDepot Park is yet another bad place for right-handed pull-power hitters. It's also too soon for the Marlins to bury Norby, who's a former top prospect with a career .873 OPS at the Triple-A level.
4. Pittsburgh Pirates
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Projected 3B for 2026: Jared Triolo
Projected 3B WAR for 2026: 1.8
The Marlins aren't the only ones who may be looking to break free from frugality this winter. Rosenthal and Sammon's report mentions the Pirates (so sorry for this) are in the same boat.
More specifically, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com has ballparked the Bucs' budget for new salaries at $30-40 million. Jeff Passan of ESPN reported they were even willing to double their record free-agent payout ($39 million for Francisco Liriano) to sign Josh Naylor before he returned to Seattle.
Okamoto is as good a pivot as the Pirates can make. He would seem to be in their price range, for one, and they badly need his power. They ranked dead-last in MLB with 117 home runs this year, with just six coming from third base.
Okamoto himself, on the other hand, has cause to give this ship a wide berth. Whether we're talking lefties or righties, PNC Park might be the worst stadium in MLB for home run hitters.
3. New York Mets
8 of 10
Projected 3B for 2026: Brett Baty
Projected 3B WAR for 2026: 3.0
After a second-half collapse resulted in an 83-79 record and no trip to the playoffs, the Mets unsurprisingly aren't leaving not-quite-good-enough alone this winter.
They are dangling Kodai Senga and Brandon Nimmo in trade talks, according to Passan, yet have also been linked to some of the more prominent names on the free-agent market. Those include their own guys, such as Pete Alonso and Edwin Díaz.
Whether or not the Mets retain Alonso, they might opt to end the experiment they ran with Baty, Mark Vientos and Ronny Mauricio at the hot corner this season and install a solid everyday player. Okamoto is such a player in theory, and Citi Field is not as punishing to righty power hitters as other parks we've discussed so far.
Then again, the status quo at third base isn't exactly unworkable. If Alonso does return, that could squash whatever fit there is for Okamoto in Queens at present.
2. Seattle Mariners
9 of 10
Projected 3B for 2026: Ben Williamson
Projected 3B WAR for 2026: 2.2
The Mariners simply had to have Josh Naylor back, but re-signing him should merely be the beginning of a big offseason, not the end of one.
They still have holes where Jorge Polanco and Eugenio Suárez were in the lineup, and they'll need to refill at least one of them. And whereas Harry Ford and Cole Young would offer some upside in Polanco's shoes at DH and second base, Williamson is an all-glove, no-bat type.
Munetaka Murakami has often been linked to the Mariners, but Okamoto fits their budget better and offers less of a risky profile. In the best-case scenario, he's a slugging third sacker in the mold of Suárez, but minus the whiffs.
Though T-Mobile Park is definitely more friendly to pitchers, it's not a bad place to hit home runs and is actually fairly favorable to right-handed pull-power guys. So if the Mariners want Okamoto, there could be music to be made.
1. Boston Red Sox
10 of 10
Projected 3B for 2026: Marcelo Mayer
Projected 3B WAR for 2026: 2.0
The Red Sox lacked right-handed thump in their lineup even before the season ended and Alex Bregman opted out of his contract.
As such, it makes perfect sense that they would be "a strong contender" for Pete Alonso, in the words of Jon Morosi of MLB Network. Yet they could sign him and someone to play third base, and Okamoto would be a more feasible second signing than Bregman.
The appeal should be obvious, but we'll spell it out anyway: His swing is perfect for Fenway Park, where the Green Monster awaits to inflate the slugging percentages of right-handed hitters who can hook the ball.
Whether or not the Red Sox also sign Alonso, Mayer could flip to second base if Okamoto needs to be accommodated. And if he were to break all the way out in Boston, what was a thin lineup in 2025 could be dangerous in 2026.
Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.
