2 reasons why Kazuma Okamoto may actually be the Blue Jays' best free agent fit

Throughout the current MLB offseason, rumors have had the Toronto Blue Jays going after the market’s biggest free agents. Whether it be Alex Bregman, Cody Bellinger, Bo Bichette and of course top dog Kyle Tucker, there were various reasons that people came up with on why each one would make a great fit with the Blue Jays.

However, Toronto surprised everyone on Saturday (Jan. 3), when they unsuspectingly reeled in Japanese star Kazuma Okamoto on a four-year deal. It may not be the free agent splash that many Blue Jays fans had been anticipating, but it sure sent shockwaves through Jays nation and around the baseball world that the team really means business this winter.

2 reasons why Kazuma Okamoto may actually be the Blue Jays best free agent fit

More importantly though is the fact that the signing of Okamoto could turn out actually to be the best free agent fit for the Blue Jays as compared to the “big four” of Bregman, Bellinger, Bichette and Tucker.

First and foremost, Toronto was able to net Okamoto on a four-year, $60 million contract. Without question the expected contracts of any of the “big four” will no doubt be significantly more than that and likely for more committed years as well. However, if Okamoto can somehow translate his numbers in Japan to the MLB, then he could provide as much value as the other four free agents but at a super discounted price.

The Japanese infielder could put up 80+ runs, 30+ home runs and 90+ RBIs while batting above .270 on a yearly basis, which profiles similar to the offensive output that any member of the “big four” can provide. In addition, Okamoto’s value deal should give the Blue Jays some leeway still to make further moves to improve the roster, whereas any inking of the “big four” will likely deplete Toronto of its remaining financial resources for this offseason.

Also, despite being an infielder by trade, Okamoto has previously seen reps in the outfield as well, in addition to action at first and third base. As a result, the 29-year-old “utilityman” can provide the Blue Jays will positional versatility heading into 2026, something that Blue Jays manager John Schneider has used to his advantage in constructing lineups on a daily basis in 2025 to keep their opponents guessing.

We have already seen how the likes of Addison Barger and Davis Schneider were effectively utilized in such a setup, not to mention Ernie Clement and Andrés Giménez as well playing all over in the infield, so adding Okamoto to the interchangeable mix just made Toronto an even harder team to play against. 

To top it off, after years of trying to recruit a Japanese star to play for Toronto, the Blue Jays have finally succeeded in landing one, putting the failed memories of Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki behind them for good.