The Pittsburgh Pirates are a team to look out for in free agency as they look to add some power to the lineup after being one of the worst offenses in the MLB last season.
The team signed Ryan O’Hearn from the San Diego Padres, who will be more of an outfielder while trading for Brandon Lowe from the Tampa Bay Rays. After these acquisitions, the Pirates need to keep the aggression coming. One way they can do that is by signing Japanese infielder Kazuma Okamoto.
“The Pirates have been busy addressing their offensive deficiencies in the past week, swinging a trade for Brandon Lowe and agreeing to a deal with free agent Ryan O’Hearn. But as long as Pittsburgh has the appetite for another significant expenditure, there is no reason for the club to stop there — not after it scored the fewest runs in the Majors in 2025 while allowing the fifth fewest,” MLB.com contributor Andrew Simon wrote.
“If the Bucs want to give their Paul Skenes-fronted pitching staff the best chance to lead the team back to October, it makes all the sense in the world to bring in Okamoto, a 29-year-old whose bat was a consistent force in NPB, including a 41-homer season in 2023. If Okamoto could play third while lengthening the lineup, that would allow Jared Triolo to continue in a utility role. It would also provide some right-handed insurance for the all-lefty 1B/DH combo of O’Hearn and Spencer Horwitz.”
The Pirates have been linked to Okamoto in recent days, especially given Pittsburgh’s needs and interests.
If the Pirates could get this done, it could solidify the offense for the upcoming season.
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