The Toronto Blue Jays have officially inked a four-year, $60 million US contract with Japanese infielder Kazuma Okamoto on Sunday. Okamoto, a six-time all-star in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball league, was widely reported to be joining the Blue Jays on Saturday. The 29-year-old, who primarily plays third base and first base, boasted a .327 batting average with 15 home runs and 49 RBIs in 69 games for the Yomiuri Giants last season despite missing a significant portion of the season due to an elbow injury.
As part of the agreement under MLB’s posting system with NPB, the Blue Jays are obligated to pay a posting fee of $10,875,000 to the Giants. Okamoto will receive a $5 million signing bonus, a $7 million salary for this year, and $16 million annually for the subsequent three seasons.
With Vladimir Guerrero Jr. occupying first base, Okamoto is likely to feature predominantly at third base for the Blue Jays. The team might see positional changes, with Addison Barger, Ernie Clement, Will Wagner, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and Buddy Kennedy all expected to adapt to new roles.
In a corresponding roster move, the Blue Jays have designated right-handed pitcher Paxton Schultz for assignment.
Following their near-miss for the World Series title in 1993, the Blue Jays have bolstered their roster significantly. The team secured right-hander Dylan Cease on a lucrative seven-year, $210 million deal, agreed to a three-year, $30 million contract with right-hander Cody Ponce, and inked a three-year, $37 million deal with reliever Tyler Rogers. Additionally, Shane Bieber opted to exercise his $16 million player option for the 2026 season instead of testing free agency.
