Two more NPB stars could be on their way to Major League Baseball with first baseman Kazuma Okamoto and right-handed pitcher Kona Takahashi set to be posted.
Per ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Okamoto and Takahashi’s 45-day posting window opens on Friday.
Passan previously reported that teams seeking help at first base in free agency include the New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks, Texas Rangers and Pittsburgh Pirates.
Okamoto definitely figures to be an in-demand player for teams, particularly for those who don’t want to shop at the very top of the free-agent position player pool.
That group includes Kyle Tucker, Alex Bregman, Bo Bichette, Kyle Schwarber, Pete Alonso and fellow NPB star Munetaka Murakami, all of whom are predicted get nine-figure deals.
MLB.com’s Mark Bowman cited the Cubs, Mets and Yankees as potential fits for Okamoto, who has experience at both first and third base.
The Yankees have a hole at first base with Paul Goldschmidt being a free agent. The Cubs don’t have an obvious need at first base with Michael Busch under control through 2029. Matt Shaw, a first-round draft pick in 2023, could get the first shot to win the third base job next season after hitting .258/.317/.522 over his final 63 games.
The Mets have to decide what direction they want to take with Alonso being a free agent for the second consecutive year. Okamoto owns a .277/.361/.521 slash line with 248 homers in 11 seasons with the Yomiuri Giants.
Pittsburgh is interesting because there seems to be a push, at least based on reporting, from ownership to spend some money to help surround Paul Skenes with a capable roster.
Passan noted after Josh Naylor agreed to a five-year, $92.5 million deal to return to the Seattle Mariners that the Pirates made a push for the veteran first baseman. They are also in on Schwarber.
Takahashi’s market is harder to parse because he has succeeded in NPB without missing many bats. The 28-year-old averaged 6.5 strikeouts per nine innings with a 2.06 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 196 games with the Seibu Lions.
FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen and James Fegan noted in their scouting report for Takahashi that he “can really pitch,” but his fastball’s inability to miss bats could be a “barrier” for MLB teams.
Some of the smaller-market teams that need rotation depth could try to make a play for Takahashi since it likely won’t cost that much to sign him.
Nick Deeds of MLB Trade Rumors noted a minor league deal for Takahashi would mean Seibu receives a fee that is 25 percent of the value of his signing bonus plus an additional fee if he is added to the MLB team’s 26-man roster.
Basically every team in MLB is seeking pitching depth, so the market for Takahashi could be robust from that standpoint. He doesn’t figure to get a huge deal if a team is able to sign him before the negotiating window expires on Jan. 4 at 5 p.m. ET.