At least one team could be eliminated in the chase to land infielder Kazuma Okamoto before the Japanese star's negotiating window closes on Sunday.
A source told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand that while the Pirates have shown interest in Okamoto, he is unlikely to land in Pittsburgh.
Okamoto must sign with an MLB team prior to 5 p.m. ET or be returned to Nippon Professional Baseball for the 2026 season.
It is likely that Okamoto agrees to a deal with a big league club on Saturday, so that he would have time to undergo a physical and cross off all the necessary steps before officially signing prior to the deadline.
The 29-year-old Okamoto has been connected to several teams this offseason, including the Padres, Angels, Pirates, Blue Jays and Red Sox. He is a six-time All-Star in NPB and boasts a career .277/.361/.521 slash line over 11 seasons with the Yomiuri Giants.
Although injuries limited him to only 77 games in 2025, Okamoto still hit 15 homers and batted .322 with a .992 OPS. He strung together six consecutive 30-homer seasons for the Giants from 2018-23. He clubbed a career-best 41 home runs in 2023.
Okamoto's negotiating window began on Nov. 21, and he has taken his time deciding where he might spend his MLB future. He is the last position player remaining without a deal from this year's crop of top Japanese free agents.
Slugger Munetaka Murakami signed with the White Sox for two years and $34 million last month. Earlier this week, right-hander Tatsuya Imai signed a three-year, $54 million deal with the Astros, with opt-outs after the first two seasons.
Most of the teams interested in Okamoto see him as an option at either first or third base. But Okamoto's versatility expands beyond the infield, and that could be a reason for his growing market recently.
Okamoto can also help out in left field, a position where he played 77 games during his 11 NPB seasons. He did not play in the outfield during the 2025 season.
American baseball fans got a glimpse of Okamoto's power during the 2023 World Baseball Classic championship game, when he homered for Samurai Japan off Team USA's Kyle Freeland in the bottom of the fourth inning.
He finished the tournament with two homers, seven RBIs, eight walks and a 1.278 OPS as Japan won its third WBC title.
"I believe MLB is the best league in the world, and I’ve always wanted to play there," Okamoto said after being posted as a free agent in November. "I’ve worked hard with that goal in mind."