With a deadline of 5 p.m. on January 4, it shouldn’t be long before Japanese infielder Kazuma Okamoto signs a deal. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com listed five clubs as potential suitors: the Pirates, Red Sox, Padres, Angels, and Seattle Mariners.
Seattle is looking to build off narrowly missing out on an American League pennant in 2025. Despite taking leads of 2-0 and 3-2 in the series, the Mariners couldn’t close out the series in Toronto.
The Mariners appear to be running it back in 2025. They retained their top free agent, re-signing first baseman Josh Naylor to a five-year deal. Rob Refsnyder is their other free-agent addition, serving as a right-handed bat for the outfield and Dominic Canzone’s platoon partner at DH.
The Mariners certainly present an odd fit for Okamoto. It was previously reported in the offseason that the club was not seeking third base help. It’s unclear if their stance has changed since losing Jorge Polanco to the Mets. It’s unclear if Seattle’s interest in the Japanese infielder is genuine or if they’re being used as leverage for other clubs.
Feinsand tweeted an update on Okamoto’s free agency on January 4. The MLB insider lists the Padres as the frontrunner but didn’t mention the Mariners’ chances specifically.
Why the Mariners Should Be Interested in Kazuma Okamoto
Polanco is coming off his best offensive season, slashing .265/.321/.496 with 26 home runs. FanGraphs credits him as being 32% better than the average MLB hitter with a 132 wRC+, a career-best.
Replacing such a bat isn’t so easy. They checked in on Diamondbacks infielder and former Mariners prospect Ketel Marte, who’s had a 140 wRC+ since 2023. That’s higher than Pete Alonso (128) and Kyle Schwarber (135), who got $150 and $155 million deals in free agency.
Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reported that the ask for Marte was “established MLB starting pitcher and multiple high-level prospects”. With the cost to acquire Arizona’s star bat too high, it makes sense for general manager Justin Hollander to seek alternative options.
Another bat the Mariners discussed was Cardinals utility infielder Brendan Donovan. Donovan owns a 119 wRC+ for his career. Katie Woo of The Athletic reported on December 13 that the Mariners and Cardinals discussed prospects Jurrangelo Cjintje and Lazaro Montes.
That leaves both Eugenio Suárez and Okamoto as potential options. Suárez is coming off a 49-homer season and could be the more expensive option of the two. MLB Trade Rumors and the median crowd-sourced projection on FanGraphs both have Geno landing a three-year deal of at least $60 million.
With a tight payroll, it may make more sense for the Mariners to target the younger Okamoto to play third base. Okamoto is nearly five calendar years younger than Suárez, so he’d be a safer bet to offer a big contract to despite no track record playing in MLB.
How Okamoto Would Impact the Mariners’ Lineup
With Naylor and Canzone entrenched at first base and DH, Okamoto is likely to end up at third base. That pushes down Ben Williamson, who had a .604 OPS with Seattle in his rookie season, out of the lineup. Cole Young would take over the second base role.
Okamoto would likely bat fifth in Seattle’s lineup, splitting up the two left-handed bats in Naylor and Canzone. Steamer projections have the Japanese infielder putting up a .251/.324/.441 with 19 home runs and a 110 wRC+. That 110 mark would have been the third lowest in the 2025 lineup, with only Victor Robles, Young, and Williamson lower.
It’s worth noting that Young and Williamson were rookies in 2025. Adding Okamoto to the lineup gives the Mariners a more reliable bat and allows more runway for the typical growth of a young player. Young will be 22 and Williamson on Opening Day.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Mariners Among Teams Linked to Japanese Infielder Kazuma Okamoto: Report appeared first on Heavy Sports.