The San Diego Padres have been looking for a third baseman for a while now, and they’ve been linked to Japanese free agent Kazuma Okamoto at various times during the last couple of months. But the clock is ticking on Okamoto’s posting period, which technically ends on Jan. 4, and if the Padres really are serious about doing something with Okamoto, this week is it.
To review the information on Okamoto: according to Nick Deeds of MLBTradeRumors.com, he’s 29, and he appeared in 69 games this year for the Yomiuri Giants of Japan’s NPB league. His slash line was .327/.416/.598 in 293 trips to the plate, and Okamoto also hit 15 homers with 21 doubles while posting identical 11.3% strikeout and walk rates.
That represents a scorching half season that was shortened by injury issues, but Okamoto has never hit less than 27 home runs during career in Japan, and the only time his strikeout rate exceeded 20 percent was during his rookie year.
That puts him in the same neighborhood as sluggers like multipositoinal super star Shohei Ohtani and outfielder Seiya Suzuki of the Chicago Cubs, although scouts have expressed concern about Okamoto’s ability to adapt to the kind of high-end velocity he’ll typically see in MLB, according to Deeds.
Okamoto is also seen as being decent defensively, but he’s a first baseman with the Padres, given the ongoing presence of third baseman Manny Machado, who’s not going anywhere. The Padres need a power hitter, and they don’t have a lot to spend with the team up for sale, so that’s the fit.
Moreover, this offseason could represent a somewhat depressed market for Japanese free agents this year. Slugging outfielder Munetaka Murakami recently took a two-year, $17 million offer from the Chicago White Sox, and none of the early rumors about big deals for Okamoto and starter Tatsuya Imai have come to fruition, either.
If the Padres are serious about Okamoto, their biggest competition will come from the Pittsburgh Pirates, who have been spending to some extent while being strongly connected to the corner infielder for months now.
The Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays have also been mentioned as possibilities, and so have the Los Angeles Angels. Okamoto is represented by super agent Scott Boras, and he just arrived in the US to do meetings, so that’s where things stand now. We should know more in a day or three, so it will be interesting to see if the Padres finally make a measurable move that rocks their lineup.