Hideki Matsui may give Yankees unsubtle edge in pursuit of perfect Japanese slugger

For years, New York Yankees fans have been keyed in on the upcoming free agency of grip-it-and-rip-it first base slugger Munetaka Murakami, who once upon a time revealed that he'd consider the Yankees. Consider. That's all.

While Murakami seemed like a life-changing solution back in 2022, he scuffled in the World Baseball Classic that followed, and his swing-and-miss has been a far bigger issue than it had any right to be over the past few years. What once seemed Ruthian might now be more Tuffy Rhodes-ian. He isn't a fantastic fit in New York, even if he wanted to be, especially after the emergence of Ben Rice.

But that doesn't mean there isn't an ideal jack of all trades hanging out in posting limbo who the Yankees should pursue. Kazuma Okamoto of the Yomiuri Giants, who's a righty bat who plays first, third, and the outfield, could work as a platoon for Rice and a rep share for several other positions. There's an easy pathway to 500 at-bats on the current Yankees roster for the 29-year-old, who should be seeking a similar, if not slightly cheaper, deal to the one Masataka Yoshida inked with Boston ahead of the 2023 season.

His full career being spent with Yomiuri also means he might just have the Yankees in his blood — and in his corner, given Hideki Matsui's ongoing relationship with both teams.

Anywayyyy, here's a thing that isn't technically allowed, but is apparently being spoken about in the Japanese press anyhow. The Yomiuri Giants may have more than just a strong pipeline to the Yankees in the wake of Matsui's successful stateside move back in 2003. The two sides might be collaborating in an unofficial capacity, which isn't allowed and is certainly occurring under the table (but is far from a Yankees-only issue).

Yankees could have edge in Kazuma Okamoto's free agency with more direct Hideki Matsui link

Okamoto hit .327 with a 1.015 OPS in 69 games with Yomiuri last year, and has reportedly shined against high velocity (pitches of 94 MPH or above) during his past three seasons in Japan. Now, 94 isn't 102, but still represents a nice baseline and a panacea for a common international worry.

The Yankees haven't played much in these waters since Shohei Ohtani rebuffed them back in 2017. That doesn't tell the whole story, though. Their genuine push for Yoshinobu Yamamoto came up short, and there hasn't been an excellent fit on the market otherwise since Masahiro Tanaka.

When Yamamoto hit free agency, Shohei Ohtani's unique contract terms in LA certainly helped dictate his market and landing spot. Instead of having Matsui talk to Yamamoto directly, the Yankees used a video message instead. This time around, if they really want Okamoto, they'll have a much more direct line at their disposal.