Japanese free agent slugger Kazuma Okamoto is running up against his deadline to a sign a big-league contract, as his posting deadline expires on Sunday afternoon at 5 p.m. ET.

If he's unable to agree to a contract, he'll return to Japan's NPB, but that is unlikely, meaning that a deal should come down at any minute.

The Toronto Blue Jays were connected to Okamoto last week, but it's unclear how serious that interest actually is/was.

About Okamoto

A questionable defender who can play first or third base, Okamoto is better known for his bat. About to turn 30 years old, he's a .277 career hitter in the NPB with 248 home runs. He makes exceptional contact and only struck out 11.3 percent of the time in 2025.

He also helped Team Japan win the 2023 World Baseball Classic, pairing with the likes of Shohei Ohtani, Munetaka Murakami and Yu Darvish. That team beat the United States in an epic gold medal final.

Why the Jays might be interested

Well, as we've discussed countless times, the Blue Jays have a clear and easy opening for one position player this offseason. Anything beyond that, and things get complicated.

Now, we've advocated for the Jays to just bring back Bo Bichette, but Okamoto does fit well on his own.

If the Blue Jays signed him, he could play third base and Ernie Clement would shift to second. This would force Addison Barger to right field.

Why the money might be OK

The Blue Jays clearly don't care much about overall payroll, the competitive balance tax or other penalties from overspending, but hey, everybody likes a deal.

After fellow Japanese stars Murakami (two years) and Tatsuya Imai (three years) got short-term deals, perhaps Okamoto can be had for a short-term bargain as well. As the oldest of the trio, that seems plausible, and it would help the Jays tamp down spending.

Why the deal doesn't make a lot of sense

Well, signing Okamoto would make things more complex, as we said. If Okamoto is here, there's not really room for Bichette or Alex Bregman. If Barger has to move to right field, there isn't really room for Kyle Tucker, either.

Also, Okamoto is not regarded as a great defender at third base, so the defense would end up weaker as a result of his presence.

What other teams could be interested?

Any team with a need at first or third base, or any team in need of offensive help. Boston, Seattle, the Yankees, Pittsburgh, the White Sox, they all could be interested on some level.

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