Cubs could turn to Japan’s Kazuma Okamoto to fill power need

Rhona Wise - USA Today Sports

Dustin Riese · Senior Writer · 7 hours ago

It's been more than a week since the Milwaukee Brewers eliminated the Cubs as they have begun to piece together their offseason plans. Granted, a lot of those plans hinge on who stays and who goes from the current roster, but also which players elect to take the qualifying offers given the potential Lockout looming.

You also have to look at some of the big names that have already hit the open market as Alex Bregman and Cody Bellinger have already announced they will hit free agency with Kyle Tucker also joining that mix. They aren't the only guys who will be looking for new homes as Pete Alonso and Kyle Schwarber are alson on that list, making for a massive pool of power bats that plenty of teams will go after.

Looking at that group, Schwarber, Bellinger, and Tucker all make sense for the Cubs, but do they have the money to bring either one of them back? Should you ask the fans, Schwarber is the one everyone wants back as the Cubs will try to do what needs to be done to write the wrong and get Schwarber back where he belongs.

That is the first step to the Cubs' entire offseason, with the second step hailing from the hot corner and what to do at that position. There is no question that Matt Shaw proved he can handle third base defensively, but his offense is still miles away from where it needs to be for him to be a trusted every day option.

You could see him back on the Cubs as a utility infielder this year, but if he is going to be the third baseman of the future, that offense needs to come around sooner rather than later. That is what makes Bregman all the more intriguing as he opted out of his deal with the Red Sox to become a free agent for the second straight offseason.

There have been some reports out there that Bregman was looking for a deal from the Cubs last season, and when he found out a deal wasn't coming, he chose to sign with the Red Sox. If that is the case, Chicago had better get on the phone with him ASAP to avoid that happening again.

As good as Bregman has been, he is still on the wrong side of 30, so any long-term deal at this point is going to come with plenty of question marks. That alone could force the Cubs' hand to go a different route, and Kazuma Okamoto could be the fallback plan, which in reality wouldn't be a fallback plan at all, but instead, a great addition to this team.

Like Munetaka Murakami discussed last week, Okamoto is one of the best power bats in the NPB, and given that he plays both first and third base, he would be a great choice to add to the Cubs' lineup. The only question surrounding him at this point is whether or not the Yomiuri Giants will be posting him, as there is a consensus that he may not be posted this season.

That would be a tough pill to swallow, considering a lockout may prevent him from getting posted again, if at all, so you have to think both parties are going to do what it takes to get a posting fee done. Should that become a reality and Okamoto is indeed available, the Cubs are expected to be one of several teams making a run at him as they have a history of targeting Japanese-born players.

A bit younger than Bregman at 29, Okamoto is also more versatile in the field as he can handle both first and third base. Considering the season Michael Busch had, don't expect him to miss too much time at first so adding Okamoto would solely be to use at third base and possibly a DH should Suzuki move back to right depending on how the Cubs offseason would go.

Adding Okamoto to this roster may not seem like a big deal, but he is someone who has been putting up big numbers for years and has the perfect combination of contact and power that every team looks for. Since his debut in 2015, Okamoto has been a consistent presence in the middle of the lineup and has hit .274 for his career.

That has come with several .300-plus seasons, including a career best .322 this past season, which is what many teams are looking at. Along with the average comes his 248 career homers, 15 of which came this past season, as Okamoto sacrificed his power this past season to become more of an average hitter.

Before that, you were getting a massive power threat as he put up seven consecutive seasons of 25 or more homers, including six straight 30-plus homer seasons. His career best season came in 2023 when he clubbed 41 homers and 93 RBIs, but his career mark in RBIs came two years earlier when he drove in 113.

Regardless of the decline in numbers last season, the proof is there for him to be a legitimate power bat in any lineup, as he will look to work the fine line of being not only a high average guy, but also a consistent power threat. Knowing the uncertainty of the MLB following the 2026 season, there is no telling what type of contract he would be worth, but you can expect a three to four-year deal at a minimum.

If that is the case, and should he be able to produce 25 homers and 80-plus RBIs, how can you not make a run at him as he would come cheaper than other guys on the market? Given how the Cubs have operated over the past six years, this could be their primary target as opposed to Bregman, as he fits their financials much better than Bregman.