For the Boston Red Sox, there are options aplenty this winter in terms of established names that are acquirable either through free agency or trade. From a plethora of talented free agents on the open market, and even infielder Ketel Marte being obtainable through the team’s pitching depth and prospect pool, there's no excuse for the Red Sox not to bolster their roster.
However, Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow has never been about the flashier move, and perhaps this time, for good reason. Does it make sense to you that they move on from a third baseman like Alex Bregman, only to take in a player like Marte, who, although he deserves a rebuttal on his character concerns, still has noise surrounding the lack of communication he had with the Arizona Diamondbacks group?
By contrast, Bregman surely seems to Boston like the safer risk, and they’ve already made a safe one with the acquisition of future free agent pitcher Sonny Gray, so it only makes sense that they will sign the previous leader of the clubhouse and pair him with a certain overseas hitter. As for who, one name stands out above the rest.
Red Sox Must Sign Kazuma Okamoto This Winter
Yes, the Red Sox didn't exactly hit the ball out of Fenway with Japanese signing Masataka Yoshida, but infielder Kazuma Okamoto is worth a shot off the numbers — especially if they want some to play third base when Bregman can't.
For starters, Okamoto is a proven slugger, hitting at least 30 home runs in six straight seasons with the Yomiuri Giants from 2018 to 2023. Although his production has regressed since then, he still has 42 HRs in 220 games across the last two seasons. He also has a lifetime .882 OPS and a .277 average in the Nippon Professional Baseball league over 11 seasons, and also plays above-average defense, but that’s not what should top the decision for Breslow in the lead chair or for the fans at theirs.
What should jump out to evaluators is that Okamoto and Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki have strikingly similar swings. As a reminder for anyone who’s wondering about the former NPB standout, Suzuki just set career highs in HRs (32), RBIs (103), and total bases (273) in his fourth MLB campaign this year, which also saw him finish 20th in the National League MVP voting race.
Bregman only played 114 games due to injury in 2025, so it's safe to say that his health will be on the Red Sox's radar next season. Assuming he misses time or just needs a breather, having Okamoto to rely on in the hot corner would make manager Alex Cora's life much easier.
For a Japanese-to-America talent pool that hasn’t had trouble establishing a solid foundation for themselves in Major League Baseball, these small nuances matter in tracking a higher ceiling. With a high-upside right-handed swing built for Fenway Park’s dimensions, the decision on a player like Okamoto will be made in the next few weeks, and it’s hard to see the Red Sox going in another direction.