3 moves by the Blue Jays that already look genius this offseason 

The Toronto Blue Jays have been lauded throughout this offseason with the impressive work that they have done so far in bolstering the team ahead of the 2026 MLB season. But many may have missed some of the subtle attributes of the players that the Blue Jays have added that has made those acquisitions even more significant than meets the eye.

With GM Ross Atkins having a busy winter already, they have not only set themselves up for success during the year, but they've also made move that already look genius compared to what some of their rivals have done.

3 Blue Jays moves that already look genius this offseason 

The signing of Kazuma Okamoto

On paper, the signing of Japanese star Kazuma Okamoto looks like another inexpensive experiment for Toronto in hoping that his offensive talent can translate smoothly to the MLB. But in reality, this is actually a smart move made by Atkins on many fronts.

With Okamoto having proven to be a consistent contact hitter during his career in Japan, the chances of such a player having success in North America is way higher than ones that just hit for power with a ton of strikeouts. That is because he would know how to make adjustments to maximize hitting effectiveness, rather than to go for the home run each time up.

Moreover, Okamoto has seen time both in the infield and outfield playing in Nippon Professional Baseball. With the ability to hit above .270 while averaging 30+ home runs and 90+ RBIs per season, he can essentially be a “Kyle Tucker-lite” as an outfielder and a “Bo Bichette-lite” as an infielder, but at a way lower cost at just $60 million over four years.

This way, even if the Blue Jays end up failing to sign either Tucker or Bichette, they can be rest assured to have a comparable piece already set in their lineup that they can fall back on for 2026.

The signing of Dylan Cease

Being able to bring in a Cy Young-calibre pitcher in Dylan Cease is crucial for the Blue Jays if they intend to be legitimate World Series contenders both in 2026 and beyond. By doing so, it gives Toronto potentially four No. 1 starters in their rotation with Cease, Shane Bieber, Kevin Gausman and the rookie dynamo Trey Yesavage (that is assuming he ends up fulfilling his potential this season by continuing his excellence). 

With the Los Angeles Dodgers also fielding a rotation of four aces in Shohei Ohtani, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, it enables the Blue Jays to go Mano a Mano with the reigning World Series champions on what would become a level playing ground.

At the same time, it would allow the Blue Jays to steamroll over other teams that only have three or less top-caliber pitchers in their starting pitching staff, making their path to a potential championship title that much more probable. On top of that, it guarantees Toronto to have at least one ace remaining in their rotation if Gausman and/or Bieber end up heading to free agency upon the conclusion of the 2026 season.

Adding durable pitchers to their pitching staff

Adding durable pitchers is perhaps the most intelligent move made by Atkins so far this winter. In 2025, the Blue Jays saw many of their key pitchers miss significant amounts of time due to injuries. Those pitchers included former three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer, 2024 breakout pitcher Bowden Francis, and key bullpen arms in Nick Sandlin, Yimi Garcia and Tommy Nance to name a few.

The Blue Jays somehow managed to overcome all of those long-term injury woes and make it all the way to the World Series. Nevertheless, having key players on the sidelines for extended periods of time is usually not a recipe for sustainable success.

As a result, the Blue Jays cleverly added key arms this offseason that have had a proven record of durability in recent years. Cease has recorded at least 32 starts in each of his past five seasons. Tyler Rogers has made at least 68 relief appearances in five consecutive years, including leading the entire league with 81 in 2025. In addition, Cody Ponce has also registered at least 26 starts in his past two seasons in NPB and KBO.

To have all of them effectively pitch, eat up innings and maintain good health would help provide the greatest impact on the Blue Jays’ success going forward. As a result, these unsuspecting clever moves could actually become the difference maker for Toronto this upcoming season.