Alex Bregman has officially opted out of his contract with the Boston Red Sox to enter an otherwise underwhelming free agent class.
Eugenio Suárez, Yoán Moncada, Paul De Jong, Kiké Hernández and Luís Urías are among the other third base options who will be available this winter. Bregman's reliable bat and Gold Glove-caliber defense make him the clear top of the class — the competition for his services will be more intense than it was last offseason.
There will also be two international free agent corner infielders available this offseason. The Red Sox have already been linked to one of them in 25-year-old slugging phenom Munetaka Murakami, but they could also be a great fit for fellow corner infielder Kazuma Okamoto.
Okamoto's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) squad, the Yomiuri Giants, announced in an October 22 press conference that they'll post him for MLB teams this offseason, per a report from Yahoo! Japan. The Giants are often reluctant to post their players for MLB free agency, so Okamoto's availability is a rare treat for interested clubs, some of which have scouted him for years.
Red Sox could sign Japanese slugger Kazuma Okamoto as potential Alex Bregman replacement or first baseman
Okamoto, 29, is an 11-year NPB veteran and he's slashed .277/.361/.521 with an .882 OPS in his career. He's knocked 212 doubles and 248 homers in his career, and he hit over 30 home runs in six-straight seasons from 2018-23. His best offensive season came in 2023, when he slashed .278/.374/.584 with a .958 OPS, 31 doubles, 41 homers and 93 RBI in 140 games.
The veteran has experience at both corner infield slots, and even 77 appearances in the outfield. If Bregman departs in free agency, the Sox could pursue Okamoto as a third baseman. They could also sign him as a first baseman if Pete Alonso is too pricey, or if they want to give the job to someone other than Triston Casas, who's had serious long-term injury issues since his arrival to MLB. Okamoto is a solid third baseman and an excellent first baseman, with .977 and .996 fielding percentages, respectively, at those positions.
There will likely be fierce competition for Okamoto's services this offseason, given his well-roundedness and veteran status. He could be the more affordable international free agent option compared to Murakami, who is more known for his power and youth.
Okamoto's official posting date hasn't yet been announced, but some time in December is a safe guess for when he'll be made available. Interested teams will have 45 days after his official posting date to strike a deal with Okamoto and the Giants, who will receive a percentage of his contract value as their posting fee (subscription required).