The Boston Red Sox already answered one of their pressing corner infield questions by acquiring Willson Contreras from the St. Louis Cardinals, though their hole at third base remains a glaring issue.
Of course, the team could always plug top prospect Marcelo Mayer into the position and focus their efforts on adding a second baseman (Ketel Marte?). Or, they could yield to the whims of the fanbase and finally re-sign Alex Bregman.
However, one other intriguing possibility remains in Kazuma Okamoto, the NPB star to whom the Red Sox have been connected since he was posted to the MLB in November.
With a clear focus on adding more offensive thump after earlier offseason trades for Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo, Okamoto could be a strong fit within the Red Sox's operation, assuming his glove can stick at third base in the major leagues. That's especially true if he signs a contract similar to the one The Athletic projects for him (four years, $78.5 million).
Breslow pretty clearly establishing that the vaunted "No. 2" is most likely already on the roster with this, when asked about priorities for rest of winter.
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) December 23, 2025
"I think our focus is pretty firmly on the the position player side right now. But that’s not to say that we are engaged…
Munetaka Murakami's shockingly slow market should play in Red Sox's favor during pursuit of Kazuma Okamoto
Truthfully, that prediction from The Athletic may be shooting a bit high after Okamoto's fellow countryman, Munetaka Murakami, was forced to settle for a below-market deal with the Chicago White Sox.
Now, Murakami has some fatal flaws in his profile (strikeouts and issues hitting velocity) that certainly dampened his market, but he's also a 25-year-old with a triple crown on his résumé. It's possible that teams are simply tentative to hand out mega-contracts to NPB hitters after some converts have struggled at the plate in recent years.
One of those very players is current Red Sox designated hitter Masataka Yoshida, who hasn't quite lived up to his elite contact profile that he displayed in Japan. Fears that Murakami wouldn't be able to adjust in a similar way certainly scared off some big-pocketed suitors.
Such concerns don't exist to the same degree with Okamoto, who brings a much higher floor to the states. Though an elbow injury limited him to just 69 games this past season, he still hit .327/.416/.598 with 15 home runs and a 210 wRC+. The 29-year-old possesses similar power to Murakami (he averaged 33.1 home runs per year from 2018-24) but far fewer projectability concerns (he ran equal 11.3% walk and strikeout rates in 2025).
Again, there are a lot of factors to consider here, including Okamoto's questionable glove at the hot corner and Bregman's looming presence in free agency. But if the Red Sox find an opportunity to unite with the Japanese star on a more-reasonable-than-expected deal, it'd be foolish not to jump at the opportunity.