MLB Writer says the Mariners will sign Japanese Superstar to replace Eugenio Suarez
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With Eugenio Suárez sitting in free agency limbo, the Mariners need to make a move to find a successor. While their own veteran free agent seems like the club's best option, Seattle president Jerry Dipoto and general manager Justin Hollander have basically been sitting on their hands, waiting for Suarez to put pen to paper. But that doesn't seem likely now.
SportsGrid's Paul Connor predicted the Mariners would sign international free agent infielder Kazuma Okamoto to replace Suárez. On multiple occasions, he's stated that he believes Suarez is as good as gone, and the Mariners will need someone to handle the hot corner. Conner thinks they should look to the Land of the Rising Sun for relief.
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Kazuma Okamoto, the Yomiuri Giants’ first baseman, is currently a free agent on the MLB market and has had impressive stats during his career overseas. And, the numbers don't lie: In the 2025 season, Okomoto hit .327, with 15 home runs and 51 RBIs. Over his 11-year career in NPB, he has a .277 career batting average, with 248 home runs and 717 RBIs.
"Power-hitting infielder from NPB with a track record of strong on-base skills and plus raw power, Conner wrote. potential adjustment risks to MLB velocity."
Okamoto must make adjustments in the United States
Teams never know how well a player will make the adjustments to baseball in the United States. They don't always turn out to be Ichiro or Ohtani. Many are busts here in the States. Likewise, plenty of American ballplayers who played in the Nippon Professional Baseball looked lost in that environment.
He's played first base and left field, but Okamoto's natural defensive position is third base, where he won multiple Golden Gloves in Nippon Professional Baseball. And, despite his years of experience in professional baseball, he's still just 29 years old. Seattle might get the last few years of his prime, while at the same time filling a serious void on the infield.
