The Boston Red Sox are among those interested in first baseman Kazuma Okamoto.
The New York Post’s Jon Heyman reported on Thursday that they were among a trio of teams with “big interest” in the corner infielder, alongside the Toronto Blue Jays and Pittsburgh Pirates. The Athletic’s Jim Bowden reported something similar on Wednesday, connecting him to the Red Sox, Pirates, Arizona Diamondbacks, San Diego Padres, Colorado Rockies, Washington Nationals And New York Mets.
Okamoto, 29, was posted after a decade-long career in Japan, and has until Jan. 4 to negotiate with teams across Major League Baseball.
Okamoto played both first base and third base across his time with the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball, slashing .277/.361/.521 with 248 home runs, 212 doubles and 717 RBIs — surpassing 100 games played in every season from 2016 to 2024, before hitting the shelf with an elbow injury in 2025.
The Red Sox have plenty of questions on both corner infield spots, as they still need to find a way to retain Alex Bregman and have been connected to numerous players that could potentially replace Triston Casas.
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