The Toronto Blue Jays’ recent run to the World Series might just have a shot to make them one of the most coveted free agent destinations this winter.
And much like their latest opponent in the postseason, Toronto’s looking to potentially add a few stars from Japan, with a trio of free agents seeing their names linked to the Blue Jays already.
So far this offseason, Toronto has been linked to starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai, infielder Munetaka Murakami and now infielder Kazuma Okamoto.
Yahoo Japan reported that the Jays were one of at least six MLB teams taking in Okamoto’s perforfmance at the recent Samurai Japan Series taking place at the famous Tokyo Dome, pitting top Japanese players against their counterparts from Korea.
This past season with the Yomiuri Giants, Okamoto played in 69 games, batting .327 with a .416 on-base percentage, a .598 slugging percentage, and 15 home runs. He was also a part of the 2023 World Baseball Classic-winning Japanese team.
But Toronto isn’t exactly the only suitor for his services, with a possible bidding war on the way.
Along with the Jays, teams keeping an eye on Okamoto reportedly include the New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Angels, and Chicago White Sox.
Each of the three players has a 45-day posting window where they’ll have the chance to talk to MLB teams, with Okamoto being the latest of the three to be officially made available. Given that his posting window opened on Thursday, he’ll have to sign a contract before Jan. 4 of next year if he’s set to make the move to the MLB next season.
But even among already established MLB stars, this year’s offseason for Toronto could be quite the busy one. Toronto’s seen themselves linked to Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger, while also attempting to keep homegrown star shorstop Bo Bichette as he entered free agency for the first time.
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