Pirates miss out on dream Ke'Bryan Hayes replacement with latest rumor

The Pittsburgh Pirates opened a big hole at third base this summer after trading Ke'Bryan Hayes to the Reds. For the remainder of 2025, they plugged Jared Triolo there to fill the void. While his second-half breakout did earn him a spot in the 2026 plan, the Pirates still could have attempted to add a different starting third baseman.

One name that would have been a dream come true for Pittsburgh would have been Kazuma Okamoto, a slugger from Japan who was initially expected to be posted. It would have been a longshot to add him, of course, as the Pirates do not often hand out big contracts, and he would have likely commanded a decent-sized multi-year deal, roughly equivalent to what the Boston Red Sox gave Masataka Yoshida several winters ago. But if not now, when, right? It's the type of contract that teams like the Pirates should be able to afford, especially in the current Paul Skenes window.

While dreaming about the impact he could have made to the Pirates lineup was great, reality struck this week, and they all but officially have no chance of getting him. Francys Romero recently reported that, according to multiple sources, Okamoto's team, the Yomiuri Giants, will not be posting him this offseason.

While it was unlikely for Pittsburgh to pursue him if he had been posted, officially not having a chance at him is a bummer. Thinking about what a slugger with 277 career home runs would do to the Pirates lineup was a fun thought. Now that the dream is over, what is left to consider long-term at third base?

Pirates' dream Ke'Bryan Hayes replacement, Kazuma Okamoto, is reportedly not getting posted this offseason.

Triolo will likely become the starting third baseman, but he still has yet to prove that he can handle an everyday job. While his breakout was a great sign this summer, he was still in the utility role, moving all over the place rather than holding down one spot and running with it. When he was a starter in 2024 and early 2025, he was extremely lousy, so there are still questions about his bat, regardless of where he glove stands.

Forgetting about the dream of Okamoto, a more realistic option for the Pirates would be Yoan Moncada. His defense isn't great by any means, yet that can be ignored when he would be second on the team in wRC+ at 117. He wouldn't be too expensive, either. Same goes for Miguel Andújar, coming off a solid season with a 125 wRC+. Either would be relatively decent contracts for their production, and would be affordable for Pittsburgh. They need to try for one of these two additions, or 2026 will be a repeat of 2025.