With just two days left until the closing of his posting window, we knew a Kazuma Okamoto decision was coming soon, and it turned out to be a doozy: According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, the Japanese infielder (and six-time NPB All-Star) has agreed to a deal with the Toronto Blue Jays. The New York Post's Jon Heyman reports that it's a four-year deal worth $60 million.
BREAKING: Japanese third baseman Kazuma Okamoto and the Toronto Blue Jays are in agreement on a free agent contract, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 3, 2026
While most of the rest of the league is content to sit on its hands and wait for this offseason to fall into their laps, the Blue Jays have capitalized on the momentum from their World Series run. Toronto had already overhauled its pitching staff, adding Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce to the rotation and Tyler Rogers to the bullpen. Now they've gone out and added an awfully intriguing bat in Okamoto, who combined 30-homer power with excellent on-base and contact skills in Japan and won't turn 30 until June.
The scariest part? Ross Atkins and Co. very well might not be done. After all, Toronto has long been considered among the favorites in the sweepstakes for both outfielder Kyle Tucker and long-time shortstop Bo Bichette. But while this front office clearly wants to get as aggressive as possible, eventually you run out of roster spots (and/or money). With Okamoto now in tow, the Jays are going to be faced with a difficult choice — one that could ripple out to the rest of MLB.
Blue Jays lineup running out of room after Kazuma Okamoto signing
Toronto was already deep on position player talent before adding Okamoto to the mix. With Vladimir Guerrero Jr. ensconced at first base, the Jays likely envision Okamoto at third, with Ernie Clement sliding to second, Andres Gimenez at short and Addison Barger pairing with George Springer in right.
That's a group long on good hitters but a little bit short on great ones, unless you want to bank on George Springer turning back the clock again at age 36 or Anthony Santander roaring back from a lost 2025 season. Okamoto doesn't necessarily change that calculus: His bat should translate pretty well to the Majors, but his lack of overwhelming pop pegs him as something closer to a 110 wRC+ bat than a 130. He's a starting-caliber player, but the Blue Jays should still be on the hunt for at least one more guy to plop into the middle of their order behind Vladdy.
The only problem is they're running out of places to put them. Guerrero Jr., Springer, Santander and Daulton Varsho should all be in your lineup every day, and Gimenez and Clement are both tough to sit due to their exceptional infield defense. Toronto clearly thinks of Okamoto as an everyday player — you don't pay him $15 million a year otherwise — and Barger was a breakout player this past season. Which of those guys are you sitting?
Toronto is no doubt still interested in another Tucker- or Bichette-sized splash. This offense needs it, and there's enough versatility and flexibility to make all the pieces work. But the pipe dream of signing both stars this offseason likely died with the Okamoto addition — both because it would be exorbitantly expensive and because, at a certain point, there's just not enough room. Which begs the question: Which one do you choose?
Will Toronto prioritize Kyle Tucker or Bo Bichette?
As painful as it may be for Blue Jays fans who have grown attached to one of their homegrown stars, from here it sure looks like Toronto is gearing up for Tucker as its last major move of the offseason.
Which isn't to say that a reunion is already dead. It's entirely possible that another Tucker suitor gets desperate, and the Jays pivot back to Bichette after all. While Okamoto was mostly an infielder in Japan, several MLB teams have expressed interest in trying him out in left field, so it's not out of the question that Toronto could slot Bichette back in at short (or third, given his declining defense) and put Okamoto into an outfield platoon with Barger.
That still feels pretty wonky, though. For starters, what the Jays need more than anything is a true big bopper to pair alongside Guerrero Jr., and for as good as Bichette is at the plate, Tucker fits that description more cleanly. And while Okamoto likely could play some outfield, he's an infielder by trade, and not even a particularly great one at that — you'd suddenly be sacrificing quite a bit defensively trying to juggle all of he, Bichette, Santander and an aging Springer.
The guess here is that the Blue Jays wanted to keep their options open as the markets for both Tucker and Bichette drag on, and saw Okamoto as a valuable insurance policy against missing out on either one. There's been so much smoke around their pursuit of Tucker, and he's such an obvious fit, that adding another infielder seems like a sign. All of which figures to drive Bichette out of Toronto — and into the arms of another contender who could really use him.