An affordable Cubs lineup upgrade just became available on the international market

The timer has officially started on not one, but two international free agents the Chicago Cubs could be involved in. One of them we've previously discussed is the Seibu Tigers' 27-year-old starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai, who has been seen as a possible target at the top end of free agency for the North Siders. It remains to be seen how aggressive Jed Hoyer and company will be for an arm that The Athletic's Tim Britton projected for an eight-year, $190 million contract, but he'd undoubtedly fit their stated interest in making a bigger investment in pitching.

As of Tuesday, however, we learned from a report by Nikkan Sports that the Yomiuri Giants' corner infielder, Kazuma Okamoto, was set to join him in a prospective jump to MLB. Like Imai, he's another Scott Boras client and one of the highest-profile Japanese players crossing over to the U.S. for the 2026 season. Unlike Imai, though, he won't require nearly the same commitment at an estimated four years and $64 million.

No formal connections have been made between the Cubs and Okamoto, though MLB insider Mark Feinsand pinned the 29-year-old infielder as a potential fit for Chicago. With Kyle Tucker almost certainly bound to make his stop at Wrigley a one-and-done before he cashes in, the team could use some extra pop to replace their Silver Slugger winner. Third base is about the only position that makes clear sense to make an upgrade, allowing them to move Matt Shaw into a utility role for now. Furthermore, they're also about to lose a long list of players to free agency, and could use at least some guys on multi-year deals.

Okamoto would address most of that while keeping the Cubs' pipeline of international talent strong. While he's not as big a name as Munetaka Murakami, the other exciting corner infielder coming over from Japan offers a skillset that fits the team well. Across eight years in Nippon Professional Baseball, he posted a career .277/.361/.521 slash line and has hit 30 or more home runs in six of those seasons. He seemed on pace to make it seven until injuries limited him to only 69 games in 2025, but he still managed 15 while batting an eye-watering .327/.416/.598.

Compared to Murakami, his skills appear much more transferable to the majors, with a strikeout rate that's never been above 21 percent in any given year and a contact percentage that bottomed out at 72.4 percent. There's reason to believe he can handle the change to an MLB pitching environment, given how he's managed a batting average of .298 and a contact rate over 80 percent against fastballs of 93 MPH or higher. Moreover, he's also seen as the better defender of the two at the hot corner, though he would allow the Cubs to get a little creative and spell Busch at first against a lefty on occasion.

Chicago Cubs' budget constraints may make Okamoto more enticing

Again, though, the deciding factor will be the price. The Cubs were recently rumored to be back in the mix on their target third baseman from last offseason, Alex Bregman, but he'll command a much richer salary at an estimated six years and $176 million. Already, that's a hefty deal this team has been reluctant to dole out, but they may be even more so after Shota Imanaga accepted the qualifying offer.

With Imanaga's return on the $22 million deal, the Cubs' estimated CBT payroll sits just a hair under $191.5 million. That gives them just over $52 million to play with before hitting the first luxury tax threshold at $244 million. Hoyer has typically kept the team firmly under the first mark of late for in-season moves, meaning the remaining budget is likely even less. That might be enough to make a splash with their rotation, but it makes a move for a top-line starting pitcher and someone like Bregman seem very hard to believe, barring a complete change in mindset.

Like Seiya Suzuki before him, Okamoto has the chance of being a significant offensive upgrade without breaking the bank. Perhaps the Cubs could even kill two birds with one stone and add both him and Imai to bolster their roster.