Pirates' Kazuma Okamoto competition just got more serious as US meetings revealed

The Pittsburgh Pirates being linked to Kazuma Okamoto was one thing. Okamoto hopping on a plane and starting in-person meetings in the United States is the part that turns this from “monitoring” into decision time.

The clock is real: Okamoto’s 45-day posting window closes Jan. 4 at 5 p.m. ET, and if he’s not signed by then, he goes back to the Yomiuri Giants.  That’s why the timing matters so much. This is the stage where teams stop signaling “interest” and start laying out an actual plan: role, lineup spot, development support, living situation, and yes, how serious they are about paying a Scott Boras client.

Pirates’ Kazuma Okamoto dream just got a face-to-face reality check

The Pirates have been serious enough to keep showing up. We know, thanks to Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, that they’ve already held multiple virtual meetings with Okamoto, and that they’ve been connected to him for weeks alongside clubs like the Blue Jays and Red Sox. But as soon as in-person meetings enter the chat, the competition gets sharper.

From the hitter side, Okamoto gives the Pirates exactly the kind of profile they’ve spent years shopping for without actually buying: a power bat with patience and real track record. He hit .327/.416/.598 in 2025 despite being limited to 69 games by an elbow injury, and he’s been one of Japan’s most consistent sluggers over the long haul. There are definitely questions regarding his skillset translating to the majors — NPB velocity isn’t MLB velocity, and some scouting notes have flagged that as a potential adjustment curve. Fine. That’s true for literally every high-profile jump.

The Pirates’ bigger issue isn’t “can Okamoto hit?” It’s whether they can win the credibility battle.

If Okamoto is meeting with teams in the U.S., then it is easier for those larger, flashier clubs to make their pitches about the resources they have, the comfort of playing there, their brand, and having the ability to win now. Pittsburgh’s has to be much clearer and louder: daily at-bat opportunities, a lineup that needs Okamoto's power, and an organization that is just starting to act as if it is able to pursue high-impact players. 

Also, the Pirates' reported willingness to enter into large financial agreements this offseason, including for impact players such as Kyle Schwarber, also supports the idea that the Pirates GM Ben Cherington is still looking for "another proven bat."

So this has clearly gotten more serious, not because the Pirates suddenly want him more, but because everyone else gets a face-to-face chance to out-sell them before that Jan. 4 buzzer. And it'll be awfully tough to beat San Diego's climate sales pitch.

If the Pirates want this one, they can’t lose it with the usual ending: “They were interested.” They need to close with the only sentence that actually matters: Okamoto picked Pittsburgh.