The Blue Jays had a revolving door at third base last season, and they appear to have thrown a new name into the conversation.
Toronto is signing infielder Kazuma Okamoto to a four-year contract worth $60 million, according to a Saturday afternoon report from Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet in Canada. Okamoto, 29, has spent his entire 11-year career with the Yomiuri Giants in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball.
Okamoto has made six NPB All-Star teams and led the Central League in home runs in 2020, ’21 and ’23. He departs NPB with a .277/.361/.521 career slashline, 248 home runs, and 717 RBIs. In the 2023 World Baseball Classic, he slashed .333/.556/.722 with two home runs and seven RBIs.
The Blue Jays won their first pennant since 1993 last year, and in the aftermath have reportedly engaged in many conversations with major free agents. Okamoto is primarily a third baseman, and Toronto had a bit of a revolving door at that position a year ago—Addison Barger started 67 games at third last year and postseason hero Ernie Clement started 66.
Regardless of who starts at the position, the Blue Jays are scheduled to open the 2026 season on March 27 at home against the Athletics.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Blue Jays Add Six-Time Japanese All-Star Kazuma Okamoto on Four-Year Contract.
