The Toronto Blue Jays made some intriguing moves this offseason - but they also missed out on a few big swings.
Bo Bichette is gone. So are the hopes of landing Kyle Tucker, Cody Bellinger, or Alex Bregman.
That’s a lot of star power either walking out the door or never stepping through it in the first place. And while the Jays came within a game of winning it all last season, the current version of their lineup looks, at least on paper, a step behind.
That puts the spotlight squarely on one of the most fascinating additions in baseball this winter: Kazuma Okamoto.
Toronto inked Okamoto to a four-year, $60 million deal after a standout career in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He’s expected to take over at third base, and there’s no doubt he brings a strong track record with him. Over 11 seasons in NPB, Okamoto posted a .355 on-base percentage and cleared the 30-homer mark in six of the last eight years - a model of consistency and power.
But here’s the million-dollar question (or in this case, the $60 million one): How will that production translate to Major League Baseball?
The transition from NPB to MLB is no small leap. Pitchers in the majors bring more velocity, sharper breaking stuff, and a different level of depth across the board. For every player who makes the jump seamlessly, there are others who need time - or never quite find their rhythm.
And for a Blue Jays team that didn’t add much else offensively this winter, Okamoto’s adjustment period, or lack thereof, could be pivotal.
Toronto’s lineup took another hit this week with the news that Anthony Santander will be out for an extended stretch due to injury. Now, Santander wasn’t exactly a key cog in 2025 - injuries and inconsistency kept him from making much of an impact - but his absence still thins the depth chart.
All of this circles back to Okamoto. If he can be a legitimate middle-of-the-order threat, it changes the entire complexion of this team.
It won’t erase the sting of Bichette’s departure, but it can soften the blow. It can help keep the Jays in the mix as a serious contender.
But if he struggles to adjust, if the bat doesn’t click right away, then Toronto could be looking at a step back - and after coming so close to a championship, that’s not a direction this team or its fans want to go.
The Blue Jays are betting big on Okamoto. Now we wait to see if the payoff matches the potential.