The Los Angeles Angels 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 in the last couple of months. But the clock is ticking on Okamoto’s posting period, which technically ends next Monday, but if the Angels really are serious about doing something with Okamoto, this week is it.

To review: according to Nick Deeds of MLBTradeRumors.com, Okamoto is 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.

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That represents a scorching half-season that was shortened by injury issues, but Okamoto has never hit less than 27 home runs, 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 multi-positoinal superstar Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki, 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, so he’d be installed immediately in Anaheim, especially since third baseman Yoan Moncada is the name most recently being bandied about and connected to the Angels. The Angels have announced that they’re going to settle what they owe this year to former third baseman Anthony Rendon, although no progress has been made with the specific numbers just yet.

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.

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If the Angels are serious about Okamoto, their biggest competition will come from the Pittsburgh Pirates, who have been spending to some extent this offseason while being strongly connected to the third baseman for months now.

The Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays have also been mentioned as possibilities, although the third base market has yet to be set by the signing of the biggest name, Alex Bregman. No one really knows where the Halos fit in this conversation right now, but we do know the timeline, and that’s this week.