Pirates named surprise contender for Japanese star but no one’s convinced

Kazuma Okamoto, the captain of Nippon Professional Baseball’s Yomiuri Giants and one of the best hitters in Japan, will be posted for major league teams this winter.

MLB Trade Rumors' panel of writers named the San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Angels and New York Mets among the potential landing spots for the 29-year-old corner infielder. But one intrepid soul, Darragh McDonald, went against the grain and named the Pittsburgh Pirates as his pick to land Okamoto.

Pirates fans have heard this story before — the one where a recognizable international star is “linked” to Pittsburgh in the offseason rumor mill, only for the club to quietly bow out once the price tag comes into focus.

The blunt reality is that Bob Nutting’s Pirates simply don’t operate in the financial tier required to win a bidding war for a player like Okamoto. Even if he isn’t expected to command a $100 million deal, he’ll still require a posting fee plus a multi-year commitment in the neighborhood of $64 million. That would instantly make him one of the most expensive signings in franchise history — and that’s saying something for a team whose last multi-year free-agent deal was Ivan Nova in 2016.

For Pirates fans, that kind of financial leap is almost unthinkable. They’ve been conditioned by years of small-market restraint: minimal free-agent spending, cost-controlled arbitration moves, and front-office messaging about “sustainability” over aggression.

Pirates fans will believe Kazuma Okamoto prediction when they see it

There’s a philosophical gap here as well. Ben Cherington’s entire tenure as general manager has revolved around draft-and-develop, not splash-and-spend. The Pirates have doubled down on internal pitching development and long-term control rather than external upgrades. Signing a 29-year-old international slugger would represent a total departure from their model — targeting a win-now bat who isn’t likely to be part of the next six-year window.

Pirates fans have learned to translate front-office code words like “creative additions” or “value signings” into realistic expectations — usually meaning minor league deals, reclamation arms or Rule 5 fliers. Okamoto doesn’t fit that mold in the slightest.

Pittsburgh fans have grown cynical for good reason. Every winter, they see their team “linked” to notable names — from international stars to mid-tier MLB free agents — only for the Pirates to watch from the sidelines as those players sign elsewhere. The idea that the Pirates would beat out the Angels, Mets or Phillies for a power-hitting Japanese captain simply defies the organization’s modern identity.

So while Okamoto would be a dream addition — a middle-of-the-order right-handed bat who could stabilize first or third base — Pirates fans have learned not to mistake possibility for intent. Until ownership proves willing to spend real money and Cherington proves willing to deviate from his low-risk blueprint, talk of Okamoto in black and gold will feel like just that — talk. For Pirates fans, belief will come only after the introductory press conference, not before it.