Cardinals Surprisingly Linked To Kazuma Okamoto

The St. Louis Cardinals have been aggressive so far this offseason.

St. Louis has talked about trading veterans and followed up by sending Sonny Gray out of town before the winter meetings even began. Chaim Bloom said he wants to add pitching while speaking throughout the winter meetings and followed up by reportedly agreeing to a deal with Dustin May in free agency after the meetings came and went.

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The Cardinals remain the team to watch on the trade market, but could they add more pieces in free agency as well? When Bloom spoke at the winter meetings, he specifically talked about pitching. Unless the Cardinals are able to offload a lot of money by trading the likes of Willson Contreras and Nolan Arenado among others, it would be somewhat surprising to see the club make a splash for anything other than pitching this offseason, especially with logjams already all over the place.

This would be a surprise

Mar 16, 2025; Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan; Yomiuri Giants first baseman Kazuma Okamoto (25) hits a single against the Chicago Cubs during the second inning at Tokyo Dome. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

While this is the case, The Athletic's Jim Bowden shared a column on Wednesday in which he discussed the "best matches" for the top remaining free agents. Surprisingly, Bowden listed the Cardinals as the second-best fit for Japanese slugger Kazuma Okamoto.

"Best matches: 1. Reds 2. Cardinals 3. Pirates," Bowden wrote. "The Reds have a lot of first base options, led by Spencer Steer and Christian Encarnacion-Strand. However, Steer can play left field and Encarnacion-Strand is more of a DH-type. Okamoto would be a huge upgrade for them in the lineup, bringing plate discipline and power that would play at Great American Small Park.

"If the Cardinals trade Willson Contreras then St. Louis would also be a solid fit for Okamoto. The Pirates are looking for offense anyway they can get it, so I like Pittsburgh for a landing spot, as well."

Where the Cardinals' roster stands right now, this doesn't make much sense. Okamoto can play first or third base. Right now, the Cardinals are set at the positions with Contreras and Arenado. If the Cardinals trade Arenado, the most likely replacement would be an internal option, like Nolan Gorman or JJ Wetherholt.

If the Cardinals trade Contreras, this idea would hold more weight, although Alec Burleson would be the next man up internally. He can play all over the place, so it would depend on how the team handles other trade candidates.

Okamoto would be a good pickup. He's got big power and is 29 years old. From 2018 through 2023, Okamoto never hit fewer than 30 homers. In 2024, he came up just short at 27. In 2025, he had 15, but played just 77 games.

He has big power, but it's hard to believe the Cardinals will actually pursue him. Maybe the front office proves us wrong, but this idea doesn't seem to fit with where the club currently is, unless the price tag is very low.

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