The Blue Jays know they can’t just run the same offense back and expect a different ending. After 2026 left them with the fewest home runs in baseball and one of the least productive lineups in the league, adding real pop has to be near the top of the winter to-do list.
That search could take Toronto back to Japan - and to two names that fit the power brief. According to Mitch Bannon of The Athletic, the Blue Jays are expected to pursue Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki and will also check in on Hanshin Tigers slugger Teruaki Sato if his Nippon Professional Baseball club posts him.
Suzuki would give Toronto a proven big-league bat. His 26 home runs in 2026 would have ranked second on the Blue Jays, and his .841 OPS would have led every qualified Toronto hitter by nearly 80 points. He’s already shown he can handle Major League pitching, too: five seasons with the Cubs after signing an $85 million deal before 2022, a .823 career OPS, and four straight 20-homer seasons.
Sato brings a different kind of upside. The left-handed hitter has piled up 77 home runs over the last two seasons in NPB, and there’s reason to think the power could play anywhere. Like Kazuma Okamoto before he signed with the Blue Jays last winter, Sato is said to have the ability to handle third base or a corner-outfield spot.
That’s where Toronto’s recent history matters. Okamoto’s first season with the Blue Jays was uneven at times, but it still wound up as a clear win. Signed to a four-year, $60 million contract after the 2025 season, he set a franchise rookie home run record and finished as the club’s top power source with 33 home runs and a 117 wRC+.
The transition wasn’t spotless. Okamoto’s strikeout rate jumped well above his NPB level, and Toronto didn’t always use him in the most damaging spots, often slotting him fifth or lower despite his production. Even so, the overall result gives the Blue Jays a strong case for believing in another established Japanese slugger.
There’s also a practical fit to consider. George Springer is set to hit free agency, which could open up designated hitter at-bats, though Anthony Santander and Addison Barger may complicate that picture.
If Santander is healthy enough to play, the Blue Jays would likely prefer to keep him in the DH mix rather than have him log more outfield innings. Barger, coming back from an elbow injury, may need those DH reps as much as anyone.
In that kind of setup, Suzuki could slide in as a DH or outfielder right away, while offering a younger bat than the 37-year-old Springer.
Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith has also reported that Toronto is expected to return to the Asian market this winter after landing Okamoto and pitcher Cody Ponce last offseason. He named Sato and Japanese pitcher Kaima Taira as early Blue Jays targets, while noting it remains to be seen how serious the interest becomes or whether it’s mutual.
For Toronto, the lesson from Okamoto is pretty straightforward: a trusted power bat from Japan can matter fast. And with this offense in need of a jolt, either Suzuki or Sato would be a meaningful start.
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Varsho did plenty in Toronto, too, earning a Gold Glove and helping push the Blue Jays to the 2025 World Series before being dealt to Houston for Spencer Arrighetti. But Morenos breakout leaves the original swap looking even harder to sort out, especially for a fan base that still wonders whether the Blue Jays gave up too much of a young catcher with star-level upside. [Read more 🡒]