Okamoto Has Prefered Team; Meets in U.S. with MLB Suitors

Could Japanese slugger Kazuma Okamoto be following in Shohei Ohtani's footsteps? Maybe not from the standpoint of being a multi-time MVP and the greatest player in baseball history, but at least from the standpoint of starting his major league career with the LA Angels.

The rumor emanating out of Los Angeles is that Okamoto prefers the Angels over his other big league suitors. According to Adam Dodge on the Angels Win podcast (h/t Sportskeeda):

"[Okamoto] very clearly prefers the Angels to any other franchise. Very excited for the possibility to potentially play for that franchise...at the end of the day, money talks."

Insider Robert Murray of Fansided couldn't confirm this rumor, but he did say, in regards to the 'money talks' part of it, that team owner Arte Moreno is the key to whether or not Okamoto will be signed by the Angels.

He is now said to be in the U.S. for in-person meetings with the Angels and the other teams with interest, a list that also includes:

Pittsburgh Pirates
San Diego Padres
Boston Red Sox
Toronto Blue Jays
Chicago Cubs
Arizona Diamondbacks

Across 11 seasons in Japan's top league, Okamoto has compiled a .277 batting average, 248 home runs, 717 RBIs, 574 runs and an OPS of .882. He hit 30 or more homers with around 100 RBIs in six consecutive seasons from 2018 through 2023. He was injured for half of the 2025 season, but still hit 15 long balls and posted a 1.014 OPS.

The corner infielder is a six-time NPB All-Star, and three-time Central League home run champion.

But time is running short—for the Angels and all the others—as there is less than a week before his posting window closes, at 5 p.m. on Jan. 4. Otherwise, he and his notorious agent Scott Boras will have lost the opportunity to come to MLB until at least next offseason.