Earlier this offseason, the Toronto Blue Jays were linked to Japanese slugger Teruaki Sato in free agency. While I maintain that Sato is a tough positional fit for the Blue Jays, he certainly checks off a major offseason need in the power department.

More recently, the Blue Jays were linked to Japanese starter Hiromi Itoh, who helped Team Japan win the 2023 World Baseball Classic against the United States. I also believe that starting pitching is not the biggest need for the Blue Jays, but it's still noteworthy to follow along with Itoh's free agency.

And while I think both of these fits are somewhat clunky, I fully recognize that signing another Japanese star will be very good for the Blue Jays efforts to become a global brand. Because of that, I think it's absolutely possible that the Blue Jays explore either/or of Sato and Itoh.

However, the free agency for both took an interesting turn on Monday as Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that none of the Japanese players this offseason will be given a break with regards to a potential lockout.

So, when a Japanese player officially gets posted by their Japanese team, they have a maximum of 45 days to sign with a big league club, or they return to Japan.

However, that 45-day window is going to be cut down to about 30 days if there is a work stoppage. In 2021, the clock paused for Japanese players, allowing them to resume their clock and sign once the lockout was resolved. We thought that was going to be the case this time too, but it evidently will not be. Players will have to sign before the lockout or go back to Japan. The time is more condensed.

1) Well, on one hand: The Blue Jays will not be able to wait and see what the financial climate is like after the lockout. They will have to make a decision early and live with the ramifications of it if there is a new system in place.

2) It also means that other teams will be in the same boat, so the increased rush for a signing could spur Blue Jays' rivals into action. The Boston Red Sox have been connected to Sato as well, and that would be bad for a Blue Jays team that finished last in the American League East this season.