The Boston Red Sox were among the many teams linked to free agent and longtime Yomiuri Giant Kazuma Okamoto. In a continuation of one of the stories of their offseason so far, he signed with a division rival.
Okamoto, now a Toronto Blue Jay, posted a .277/.361/.521 slash line and an .882 OPS over 11 years in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He's known for his home run hitting prowess, as he logged six straight seasons with 30 or more bombs from 2018-23. Okamoto is a corner infielder, and could've filled two positions of need in Boston, but he'll surely be a third baseman in Toronto after Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s $500 million extension last year.
If he thrives with the Blue Jays, their four-year, $60 million investment will have been a shrewd one, but the transition to MLB isn't always easy. The Red Sox surely aren't signing Alex Bregman or Bo Bichette for such a bargain.
After their many early offseason pitching additions, the Red Sox announced that they would shift their focus to adding bats. A reunion with Bregman has been a top priority but they've looked into Bichette, Ketel Marte and Isaac Paredes as potential replacements.
Boston refused to meet Bregman's asking price of a five-to-six year deal last offseason when he was a year younger and had one less injury on his track record. Many Red Sox fans (justifiably) have a hard time imagining that they'll meet his price this year, as rumors of their interest and alleged offers have drawn out for an agonizingly long time.
Kazuma Okamoto was Red Sox's last chance to sign experienced, slugging infielder for cheap. If they fail to reunite with Alex Bregman, they'll regret their miss even more.
Bichette is only 27 and he's a better hitter than Bregman, so he'd cost quite a bit more and may expect a longer deal. Marte and Paredes would cost precious trade resources, some of which the Sox have already depleted with their deals with the Cardinals and Pirates. Okamoto represented their final chance to add an infielder for cheap and have the addition still move the needle.
By missing on Okamoto, the Red Sox have committed to adding a top, established infielder. They may have been wary of signing Okamoto because of the way the Masataka Yoshida contract has aged for them, but if they're so concerned with their spending that it could cause them to whiff on Bregman or Bichette, maybe they should've gone for it anyway.
Thankfully for Boston, the Okamoto signing may have removed the Jays from the Bregman and Bichette sweepstakes, although conflicting reports have emerged on the subject. Toronto is one of the richest teams in the league and it's emerged as a premier free agent and trade destination after its recent World Series appearance. If it no longer needs Bregman or Bichette, it'll no longer be in the market to raise their asking prices.
The Red Sox have more than enough money to sign any infielder they want, but their standing as one of the last teams in MLB to sign a free agent this offseason doesn't inspire confidence that they'll finally spend some big market-caliber money. If Boston has no intention of paying what Bregman or Bichette asks, Okamoto was its last shot at an experienced slugger who also comes with good defense at a reasonable price.
Now, it's really Bregman or bust.