Report: Kazuma Okamoto Stateside to Meet with Teams

Per Yakyu Cosmopolitan, NPB star first baseman Kazuma Okamoto has reportedly arrived in the United States to meet with teams and make his final decision. His posting deadline is January 4 at 5 p.m. ET.

The Pirates, Padres, Angels, Diamondbacks, Cubs, Blue Jays and Red Sox are potential suitors for Okamoto’s services.

Okamoto could be on the Mets’ radar even though they haven’t been formally linked to him. New York has been notoriously tight-lipped regarding free agent pursuits since David Stearns became their president of baseball operations.

Yahoo Japan reports that multiple teams view Okamoto as capable of being an everyday third baseman in addition to a first baseman.

Will Sammon of The Athletic previously reported that the Mets would like to bring in a right-handed bat to balance out their lineup, especially after the departure of Pete Alonso. Sammon noted the team would only bring in an additional bat if they viewed the player as an upgrade to Mark Vientos.

As the Mets’ roster stands, Jorge Polanco and Mark Vientos stand as the team’s options at first base. Okamoto is a right-handed hitter who profiles as a plus defender. He landed in the 70th percentile zone contact at 90.1%, 98th percentile ISO at .271, and 99th percentile BB/K rate at 1.00.

Check out MMO’s free agent profile on Okamoto here.

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