"According to a report from Yahoo Japan, infielder Kazuma Okamoto is in the US to meet with teams as he nears the end of his 45-day posting window. He's got less than a week left before his decision is due, so it's safe to assume the pool of suitors is relatively small. The Angels, Blue Jays, Padres, Pirates, and Red Sox have all been strongly connected to Okamoto, with the Cubs and Diamondbacks also being mentioned as possibilities."
"Both players are represented by Scott Boras, who also counts Japanese pitcher Tatsuya Imai among his roster of high-profile clients. This is a very interesting situation because Bregman is viewed as the bigger prize, but he also has the freedom to wait and see what happens with his colleague. Likewise, teams with interest in both might not be as willing to bid big on Okamoto if it costs them a shot at Bregman."
"Then there's the matter of Okamoto's market, which appears to be doing exactly the opposite of fellow NPB import Munetaka Murakami. Initially viewed as the far more valuable talent due to his power, Murakami's defensive shortcomings and poor contact numbers led to him taking what amounts to a prove-it deal with the White Sox. Projections for Okamoto came in around one-half to one-third of what his countryman was expected to earn, but those could end up being reversed."
Kazuma Okamoto is in the United States meeting with teams as he approaches the end of a 45-day posting window with less than a week remaining. The Angels, Blue Jays, Padres, Pirates, Red Sox, Cubs, and Diamondbacks have been linked to Okamoto. Both Okamoto and Alex Bregman share agent Scott Boras, which creates overlapping interest and roster strategy conflicts for teams pursuing either player. Teams interested in Bregman may hesitate to bid aggressively on Okamoto to preserve Bregman opportunities, potentially benefiting teams not pursuing Bregman such as the Angels. Comparisons to Munetaka Murakami suggest Okamoto's market could outperform initial projections. A four-year deal worth roughly $16–18 million per season appears plausible.
Read at Cubsinsider
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