Yankees' ideal offseason move back on the table after surprising reversal

After earlier reports to the contrary, Kazuma Okamoto will indeed be posted this offseason after all. For the Yankees, this is music to their ears. While Okamoto's countryman, Munetaka Murakami, has gotten the lion's share of the buzz in the lead-up to hot stove season, the versatile 29-year-old should not be overlooked.

In fact, there's an argument to be made that Okamoto is the better player of the two, and clearly the better fit for the Yankees. There are several reasons why, and the Yankees would be wise to pull out all the stops in their pursuit of the 29-year-old slugger.

Kazuma Okamoto will be posted by the Yomiuri Giants, and he's a picture-perfect fit for the Yankees

Let's start with the obvious: Okamoto bats from the right side, while Murakami is yet another lefty. Though the Yankees may lose one, if not both, of Trent Grisham and Cody Bellinger, they're still extremely lefty-heavy in the lineup, with Ben Rice, Jazz Chisholm Jr, and Austin Wells (as well as Jasson Dominguez's inability to be effective from the right side).

Positionally, that handedness plays well to carve out at-bats for Okamoto. The NPB veteran is a "four corners"-type player, with experience at first, third, and left. Of the three current Yankees starters in those spots, Ryan McMahon in particular could use a right-handed platoon partner, due to his .676 career OPS against southpaws. Keeping Dominguez out of the lineup against lefties will also be of serious importance.

Neither Okamoto nor Murakami is regarded as a great defender. Okamoto is the better glove between the two, though, and played the hot corner for the majority of games in his injury-shortened 2025 campaign.

That's all well and good, but there are some juicier details that matter a lot. First, despite being one of NPB's most consistent power threats, Okamoto has some pretty enticing contact skills as well. He hit .278 in 2023, followed that up with a .280 average in 2024, and then hit a new high in 69 games this year with a .327 mark.

As stated before, power is a key part of his game; he's averaged 33.1 homers per season in which he's recorded at least 500 plate appearances. Despite the big flies, Okamoto hardly strikes out. He went down via the K just 11.3% of the time in 2025, and hasn't recorded a strikeout rate above 18.8% since 2019. Murakami, on the other hand, has struck out 28.1% and 29.5% of the time the last two seasons, respectively.

Okamoto's dominance at the plate isn't just him beating up on inferior competition. The long-time Giant has shown a consistent ability to not only handle, but also punish elite velocity, excelling against pitches of 94 miles per hour or greater.

Overall, Okamoto, while still pricey, will be a bit cheaper than Murakami, fits the roster needs better, and brings with him a skillset that solves many of the Yankees' weaknesses, while also bringing the power the Bombers crave. Now that his posting is confirmed, he should be a must-sign for the Yankees.