One day before Kazuma Okamoto’s posting window will expire, it appears that the Blue Jays have won the bidding war. The Japanese corner infielder will reportedly join the reigning American League champions, giving the Jays another big power hitter for 2026.

A Look at Okamoto

Over the last decade, Kazuma Okamoto has been one of the most consistent hitters in the NPB.

The 29-year-old Okamoto had six straight seasons between 2018 and 2023 in which he blasted at least 30 home runs in a year. His career high was 41, set in the 2023 campaign.

A right-handed hitter, Okamoto slashed .322/.411/.581 with 15 home runs and 39 extra-base hits across 77 games with Yomiuri.

Okamoto posted an OBP above .360 in each of the last three seasons. Across 77 games in 2025, Okamoto posted a .411 on-base percentage. He also walked over 10% in each of the last three years.

The 29-year-old was a strong power hitter, aside from what the traditional numbers state. Okamoto was a heavy pull hitter in Japan, as he had a Pull% of 44.1% last season.

Okamoto was a fantastic hitter against fastballs over the years. The new Blue Jay rarely whiffed on fastballs in Japan; he posted a 10% Whiff% in 2025, and a 12.8% Whiff% back in 2024.

He, as expected, proved to be more aggressive against breaking balls and offspeed pitchers. However, back in 2024, he posted sub-32% Whiff% rates against those types of pitchers (h/t NPB Bat Profiler).

Defensively, Okamoto spent most of his career playing first and third base. However, he did spend some time in the outfield, most recently 15 games during the 2025 campaign.

This past season, he played 54 games at third base.

ESPN first reported that Kazuma Okamoto is headed to the Blue Jays. His team in Japan, the Yomiuri Giants, will receive a posting fee from Toronto.

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

UPDATE (1/3): Per ESPN, it’s a four-year deal worth $60MM.

Analysis

The (second) winter of Toronto continues.

Toronto has been busy over the last few weeks, adding numerous pitchers to its core. Now, the Jays bring in a proven NPB slugger to join a loaded lineup.

It’s an interesting move for several reasons. One, the Jays have been heavily linked to Kyle Tucker, the kind of player who would slot in almost perfectly in between George Springer and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., both of whom are right-handed hitters.

That’s not to say Okamoto won’t fit in well, particularly atop that lineup. The 29-year-old walked a lot in Japan, didn’t chase all that much, and could easily slot in as a hitter who can slot in either in the top-three or further down.

Two, the positional fit will be interesting. However, since he played a lot of third in 2025 and has some experience in the outfield, Okamoto could fill an Addison Barger-type role where he plays some at the hot corner, as well as works in the outfield.

As for the consequences beyond this move, it could mean Bo Bichette no longer fits in Toronto. If Barger and Okamoto split time at third, it would open up the door for Ernie Clement to shift to second. Andres Gimenez, an agile defender up the middle, can shift to short.

Lastly, Okamoto’s signing marks yet another NPB standout heading to North America. Sung Mun Song (Padres), Munetaka Murakami (White Sox), and Tatusuya Imai (Astros) are also among the 2026 MLB newcomers from overseas.

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