Murakami’s contract could hint at the type of deal the Blue Jays might offer Okamoto

Munetaka Murakami didn't wait until the 5pm EST deadline on Monday to make his decision. The Japanese slugger sent shockwaves across the league on Sunday morning by reportedly signing with the Chicago White Sox. The perennial rebuilding South siders seeming came out of nowhere to nab one of the most prolific home run hitters ever to come out of the pacific rim.

Now with Murakami off the board, the next big Japanese free agent that teams could pivot to is Kazuma Okamoto. And if Murakami's deal is any indication, Okamoto's contract could be well within the pay range scope for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Murakami’s contract could hint at the type of deal the Blue Jays might offer Okamoto

The Blue Jays have been rumored to have interest in both Murakami and Okamoto. Both players play the corners in the infield while Okamoto has also gotten reps in the outfield. Okamoto is also regarded as more of a complete hitter that also provides some pop. The 29-year-old hit 27+ home runs ever year from 2018 through 2024, topping out at 41 in 2023. He's also said to be a much more polished defender than Murakami, whose "only" asset is his power.

However, that power his tantalizing and the White Sox may have just picked up a guy who could finish within the top ten in the league in home runs. That's why the two-year $34 million contract he signed with the White Sox feels a little surprising. It's not the kind of top dollar industry experts were expecting him to sign, but it could also be that many don't believe he'll be able to put up the same kind of power numbers as he did in Japan as there are conflicting reports on how well he is able to handle high velocity fastballs.

Regardless, a $16 million annual average value could end up being a steal and maybe that's the sort of deal the Blue Jays would be willing to offer up to Okamoto. Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins has already indicated that they want to add another bat to the lineup, but he also said within the current financial market at play, adding that bat would be "extremely difficult to do." But at the same time they are consistently being mentioned as one of the teams who are in the market for Bo Bichette, Alex Bregman and the perceived number one free agent on the market this year, Kyle Tucker.

But all three of those players are projected to land multi-year deals that could exceed $100 million. If the White Sox got Murakami for just over a third of that cost, the Blue Jays have to be thinking a deal for Okamoto in that range is within their spending limit. The only downside is that Okamoto is a right handed batter and while Bichette and Bregman are as well, the Blue Jays have been reportedly trying to add a bat that hits from the left side, but it's not a deal breaker.

Okamoto, would also provide the Blue Jays with some positional versatility, almost being a right-handed compliment to Addison Barger, while being able to spell Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at first base from time to time. For a two year deal that doesn't even exceed $40 million, getting Okamoto would seem like a no brainer if that's what is on the table for the Blue Jays. Okamoto's deadline to sign a deal is on Jan. 4, 2026.