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4d ago

Blue Jays Reach Reported Deal With Japan Slugger Kazuma Okamoto

The reported agreement arrives hours before the posting cutoff that would have returned the six-time NPB All-Star to Yomiuri.

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MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 20: Kazuma Okamoto #25 of Team Japan runs to first base after being walked during the sixth inning against Team Mexico during the World Baseball Classic Semifinals at loanDepot park on March 20, 2023 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 30: Aaron Judge #99, Paul Goldschmidt #48, and Cody Bellinger #35 of the New York Yankees look on from the dugout during the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on May 30, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
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Overview

  • Multiple outlets, including ESPN and MLB.com, report Toronto has an agreement with Okamoto pending a physical, though the club has not announced the move.
  • Okamoto must complete the signing process before the 5 p.m. ET posting deadline or revert to Nippon Professional Baseball for 2026 under the posting rules.
  • The 29-year-old right-handed hitter is a six-time NPB All-Star with 248 career homers and was limited by injury in 2025 yet still hit .322 with 15 home runs.
  • Teams have evaluated him primarily at third and first base with some left-field experience, a versatility that shapes Toronto’s lineup options.
  • The Padres, Angels, Pirates, Red Sox and Mariners were linked during his posting window, and reports indicate the move does not necessarily end Toronto’s pursuits of Bo Bichette or Kyle Tucker.