In a surprising twist for Nippon Professional Baseball fans, the storied Yomiuri Giants have greenlit the posting of star slugger Kazuma Okamoto, opening the door for the 29-year-old corner infielder to chase his dream in Major League Baseball (MLB) this offseason. The announcement ends weeks of swirling rumours and conflicting reports about whether the Giants would consider Okamoto’s request.
Okamoto, a fan favourite, has long voiced his ambition to test his skills against MLB pitching.
“It’s the world’s best competition. I’ve been working hard with the singular goal of playing there,” Okamoto said at a press conference in Tokyo.
Sadaaki Yoshimura, Yomiuri Giants manager about the move
“This is one of the few times a Giants player has tried to move overseas via posting,” said Giants general manager Sadaaki Yoshimura, highlighting the historic nature of the decision. Despite Yomiuri’s tradition of holding onto stars, Yoshimura emphasized the club’s support for Okamoto’s growth: “We wanted to help him achieve his career goal.”