Okamoto deal already looks like a steal for Blue Jays after Cubs sign Alex Bregman

Long a rumored target of the Toronto Blue Jays — including as recently as a few weeks ago — Alex Bregman finally found a long-term home, inking a five-year contract with the Chicago Cubs.

The deal is worth $175 million, a hefty sum for a soon-to-be 32-year-old third baseman. He's still a star in the league and should immediately position the Cubs as championship contenders, but it's not hard to imagine the contract aging poorly. Not that such a sentiment is of any consolation to Boston Red Sox fans.

As opposed to signing Bregman, the Blue Jays opted to give Kazuma Okamoto a four-year, $60 million deal, which is a significantly cheaper agreement for a player who isn't significantly less talented than Bregman. With the dust now settled, it's clear that Toronto made the right choice in free agency.

Alex Bregman's monster contract proves Blue Jays got it right with Kazuma Okamoto

A complicated set of deferrals brings the present-day value of his deal down, but with no team options and a full no-trade clause attached, Bregman's contract could start to look really onerous at the tail end once he's in his late thirties. Meanwhile, Okamoto, who is two years younger than his hot corner counterpart, is owed $115 million less on his pact.

Even that figure alone proves that the Blue Jays got excellent value on their agreement with Okamoto, but comparing the pair's production really starts to widen the gap.

In 2025, Okamoto hit .327/.416/.598 with 15 home runs in just 69 games, recording equal walk and strikeout rates (11.3% each). That was good for a 210 wRC+ that marked a career-high output for him in the NPB, and is further proof that he shouldn't have too much trouble translating his game to Major League Baseball.

On the other hand, Bregman played in 114 contests for the Red Sox (he missed time while nursing a quad injury) and produced a .273/.360/.462 slash line with with 18 home runs and a 125 wRC+. His defense is superior to that of Okamoto's, but their bats are shockingly similar in terms of impact.

Of course, NPB stats aren't quite as impressive as MLB ones (given the increased quality of pitching in North America), and the Japanese star doesn't have two World Series rings to his name. However, it's clear that Bregman and Okamoto aren't quite so far apart in terms of raw talent as their contracts would have you believe.

The Cubs surely don't regret their Bregman signing, but it's clear that the Blue Jays are getting the most bang for their buck with their marquee third baseman. In an offseason full of big wins for Toronto, that's perhaps one of the most important.