The Pittsburgh Pirates are looking to continue to add quality hitters to their lineup this offseason and have been tied to yet another high profile free-agent.
The organization has been tied to the signings
of the top two Japanese free-agents this winter, in Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto. The former just signed a very team friendly deal with the Chicago White Sox, while Okamoto remains unsigned.
Reports from within the organization indicate that the Pirates are still very much in on Okamoto with a source telling Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette that the two parties have been in communication in “multiple virtual meetings.” Even still there is very little that would indicate which team in Major League Baseball is favored to land the Japanese superstar. Boston and Toronto have been other rumored landing spots for the 29-year-old third baseman.
Given the fact that Murakami got such a modest contract with Chicago it certainly leaves the door open for the Pirates to make a play within their budget. They were reportedly all in on several “big money” players like Kyle Schwarber, Pete Alonso and Jorge Polanco but they all fell short in the bidding wars. It looked like this spending plan was all for not until the team traded for Brandon Lowe from Tampa Bay, which instantly lit an explosive on social media for anyone following the Pirates and looking for a big splash move.
Lowe will be that kind of splash signing, but the team is looking to do more. Okamoto has until Jan 4. to sign with a major league team or he’ll return to the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball, but could be the perfect addition to the Pirates lineup. There are questions circling on how Okamoto will adjust to higher velocity pitchers in the major leagues, but he has been a proven hitter in professional baseball in his ten-year career in the NPB.
Okamoto has a career slash line of 277/.361/.521 slash line and 248 home runs. He had six straight seasons where he hit more than 30 home runs between 2018-2023 and has overall been very solid at the plate in Japan. As a third baseman his defense is solid, but not special by any means. The Pirates have a vacancy at third and Okamoto is at the very least serviceable.
If the market for Okamoto has really shrunk to just Pittsburgh, Boston and Toronto then the Pirates have a very real shot at landing him. The buzz on social media when the Pirates acquired Lowe was seismic, and signing Okamoto would have the same effect. The Pirates are getting closer to being contenders, and the fans are responding incredibly to the idea that their ball club is becoming relevant again. Okamoto joining the squad could put them from maybe in the conversation to definitely in the conversation of team’s fighting for a playoff spot after missing the postseason in 2025.
