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(Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images)
The Toronto Blue Jays will be looking to get back to the World Series after falling one game short of defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers. Toronto lost in heartbreaking fashion in Game 7 and is now hopeful that new pieces can get them to the Fall Classic in 2026.
One of the new arrivals this offseason is Japanese standout Kazuma Okamoto. The Blue Jays signed Okamoto to a four-year, $60 million contract this winter, and with the departure of Bo Bichette, Toronto needs players like Okamoto to fill that production void.
As the 2026 MLB season fast approaches, Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi shared the latest on the Blue Jays’ plan for Okamoto.
“I think [Okamoto is their starting third baseman] until he isn’t, and the Blue Jays believe that he’s going to be fine at third base,” Davidi said during a Feb. 18 appearance on Sportsnet 590 The FAN. “That’s part of the reason, and part of their thinking in making the decision to sign him is that they felt they would be able to get a competent third baseman out of him.
“Having Andres Giménez to his left at shortstop obviously helps and mitigates the need for him to have a lot of range and the Blue Jays feel that he’s going to catch whatever is hit at him.”
Blue Jays’ Kazuma Okamoto Has Traits to Play Third Base
Moreover, Davidi is highlighting some of Okamoto’s traits that the Blue Jays hope will help him stick at third base this season. Still, he notes that the player needs to see live action before determing whether any traits he has can translate over to the MLB regular season.
“He’s got plenty of arm to make the throws that he needs to make,” Davidi added. “He can play a little bit deeper than he did in Japan to maybe cut off a few more balls as well. I think all those elements give them confidence.
“Now, at camp, we haven’t seen that tested yet, and so I think that’s going to be interesting to watch. But you can also tell this is a guy who’s absorbing a lot of new.”
Blue Jays Get Praise Over Kazuma Okamoto Signing
With the Blue Jays adding another veteran bat this offseason, Jeff Joyce spoke on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM and shared his thoughts on the big move from Toronto as they are looking to remain World Series contenders in the American League.
“They’ve got the big bat in Toronto in Vladdy,” Joyce said on Jan. 3. “They didn’t need to go out and spend 400 million or 300 million on Tucker or some of these other guys. But yeah, I think adding another solid veteran bat into the mix there.
“Obviously, Vladdy is going to play mostly at first, so you’d assume he’d be over a third, but you can move [Addison] Barger around a little bit. The outfield might be a little crowded out there, but that was what the Blue Jays had last year—a strong lineup top to bottom. You feel like you’re adding another pretty solid bat into the middle of that.”
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He has previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
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