The Pittsburgh Pirates have already had a great offseason, adding multiple quality bats to their lineup. They’re not finished yet, either, as they’ve been strongly linked to Japanese star Kazuma Okamoto and are still pursuing other moves.
While the Pirates looked like the favorites to land Okamoto a few days ago and met with him virtually, that no longer appears to be the case based on a new report.
According to FanSided’s Robert Murray, a new team may have surpassed Pittsburgh in the Okamoto sweepstakes.
“I don’t think the Pirates are the most likely landing spot for Okamoto at this point,” Murray said on Friday, adding that the San Diego Padres appear more likely.
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Okamoto, 29, is one of the best power hitters in Japan and can play third base, making him a good fit for Pittsburgh. However, Japanese players tend to favor West Coast teams given their closer proximity to Japan than East Coast teams.
AJ Preller is one of the most aggressive executives in baseball and will do whatever it takes to get the players he wants, so he’s tough to compete with. The Padres also have a higher payroll than the Pirates and can make him a bigger offer, so they have multiple advantages working in their favor.
Time will tell where Okamoto ends up, but San Diego seems like a strong fit. If Pittsburgh loses out on him, there’s still time for Ben Cherington to pivot to other options.
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