Offense was the Toronto Blue Jays’ calling card last season, but there was a very notable exchange made on that offense during the offseason.
Gone is two-time All-Star Bo Bichette, who would almost definitely have led the majors in hits had he not gotten injured in early September. And stepping into the lineup to at least partially fill Bichette’s shoes is 29-year-old free-agent signing Kazuma Okamoto, who comes to the Blue Jays with 274 home runs under his belt from his 11 professional seasons in Japan.
It’s hard to ever know what to expect from a player coming to the majors from overseas, and that’s especially true for position players as opposed to pitchers. But early in spring training, reviews of Okamoto’s fit with the Blue Jays are overwhelmingly positive.
Toronto manager John Schneider took the praise one step further on Thursday, when he hinted that Okamoto’s offensive profile fit exactly the specifications the Blue Jays require from an impact contributor.
“The cool thing about him is how he fits our approach to a T. There’s contact, and there’s damage,” Schneider said, per Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. “It’s about picking spots where to do that and understanding where you fit in throughout the lineup. When we look at it, he’ll be somewhere in the middle. Righty or lefty on the mound and whoever we’re facing, guys slide up and down, but his skillset with the ability to both drive the ball and make contact is why we acquired him.”
Schneider also told Matheson that he has no doubts about Okamoto’s ability to handle third base, which is where he’ll likely need to stick, since first base is occupied by the face of the franchise, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
In other words, Schneider suggested that Okamoto, though he was virtually the only free agent addition the Blue Jays had in their lineup, was exactly what the defending American League champs were missing.
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