Japanese infielder Kazuma Okamoto and right-handed pitcher Kona Takahashi have officially been posted for MLB free agency.
Kazuma Okamoto. Photo credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
The two will have identical negotiating windows. Discussions can begin tomorrow at 8:00 a.m. ET and can run until January 4th at 5:00 p.m. ET.
Okamoto, who will turn 30 this June, can play both corner infield spots and has provided prodigious power in the past. The right-hander hit at least 30 round-trippers in every NPB season from 2018 to 2023, but his home run total decreased by 14 in 2024, and was down to 15 this past season, albeit in only 69 games.
Okamoto, along with the recently posted Munetaka Murakami, provides the Mets with options in the infield this offseason. However, unlike Murakami, who provides more raw power at a younger age, Okamoto represents the more stable, better defensive option at either first or third base.
Takahashi is coming off a season during which he pitched to a 3.04 ERA over 148 innings. The righty profiles as the typical crafty veteran, relying on command as opposed to power. Takahashi had just a 14.3% strikeout rate, which is lower than the MLB-average 22.2%.
Takashi follows ace pitcher Tatsuya Imai, who was posted earlier this month.
