Kazmua Okamoto just followed in the footsteps of Japanese baseball legend Hideki Matsui.

However, instead of leaving Japan to sign with the New York Yankees like Matsui did back in 2003, Okamoto has chosen to join the Toronto Blue Jays.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan first reported on Saturday that Toronto signed Okamoto to a contract, beating out other interested teams such as the Pittsburgh Pirates, Boston Red Sox and Seattle Mariners.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that the deal is worth $60 million over the next four years.

Okamoto and Matsui both have eerily similar resumes during their careers in Japan. Both players spent the majority of their 20s with the Yomiuri Giants in Japan’s top baseball league before departing for the MLB at the age of 29.

Although they profile similarly, Matsui was slightly more productive than Okamoto, with seven straight seasons of posting at least 30 home runs and 95 RBIs. Okamoto had six straight 30+ home run seasons before a league-wide drop in scoring partially impacted his production in 2024.

However, this past season, although Okamoto missed almost half of the season due to a left elbow injury, he posted the best slugging percentage (.322) and on-base percentage (.411) of his Nippon Professional Baseball career.

With Okamoto now in the fold, the Blue Jays could run out a lineup that looks like this in 2026.

A look at the new projected lineup for the Blue Jays after Kazuma Okamoto’s reported signing. Okamoto slashed .277/.361/.521 with 248 home runs and 717 RBI over 11 NPB seasons.

Lineup projection via @fangraphs pic.twitter.com/5ObLjBq9tG


— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) January 3, 2026

However, with less than three months until the Jays begin the 2026 World Series quest, one key player is still missing from their lineup.

Bo Bichette still remains one of the biggest free agents on the market, and the Jays’ most recent signing does make you wonder, where does he fit in?

The signing of Okamoto does give the Jays a crowded infield heading into 2026, making a reunion between Bichette and the Jays more complicated.

However, Bichette’s Toronto departure is by no means a foregone conclusion.

Players with infield experience, such as Addison Barger and Anthony Santander are projected to play in the outfield. As for the infield, Bichette could bump Andrés Giménez out of the batting rotation and starting shortstop position if he were to re-sign with the Jays.

In terms of the massive contract Bichette is likely to receive, that’s not necessarily a hindrance either. With no salary cap in baseball, there’s nothing but an increased expense to the Jays’ ownership group preventing them from re-signing Bichette.

Toronto currently has the third-highest payroll for 2026, with $272 million projected on its books according to FanGraphs. Only the New York Mets ($294 million) and the Los Angeles Dodgers ($353 million) have more money committed to their roster next season.

While Bichette could conceivably come back to the Jays, the Okamoto signing could be seen as an insurance policy.

His addition to the Jays roster comes shortly after reports surfaced about the Dodgers and Yankees both going in pursuit of Bichette. For fans hoping the 27-year-old rejoins the Blue Jays, that timing is ominous.

Outfielder Kyle Tucker is another big-name free agent who’s also been tied to the Jays this offseason. Surely, the Jays would love to land at least one of those two players before the 2026 season begins. 

 

Lead photo by

Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Bo Bichette (11) hits a three-run home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the third inning during game seven of the 2025 MLB World Series at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski/Imagn Images