In a somewhat convoluted story, the Toronto Blue Jays are in trouble with the MLB league office over some illicit marketing in Japan.

The Athletic brought story to light, but here's the gist:

1) There was a big boxing match in Japan, and Blue Jays logos were very prevalent.

2) This is illegal under MLB's rules, as international marketing is supposed to benefit the league as a whole, and not one team. MLB's league office controls foreign marketing efforts. You need permission to do something on your own, which the Jays did not have.

3) The Blue Jays say the partnership was not a paid partnership, presumably meaning they can't be in trouble for it.

4) There's no indication yet as to what the punishment for the Jays will be, if any.

It should be noted that Japanese reporter Daisuke Sugiura said the fight was "sponsored" by the Blue Jays on social media.

As I mentioned yesterday, tonight's Nasukawa Tenshin vs. Inoue Takuma fight is sponsored by the Toronto Blue Jays. It's quite a novel sight to see the MLB team's logo mark on the ring. @BlueJays

How big a deal is this?

Well, really, it depends on what the punishment ends up being. If the Blue Jays are docked a first-round pick? Then it will have been a huge deal. If they are given a small fine? Then not so much.

How big could the reward be?

Potentially substantial. Any opportunity to market yourself to Japanese fans has the potential to be lucrative for the business of the Blue Jays, especially after Japanese fans just saw the Jays advance to Game 7 of the World Series. Merchandise sales, trips to Toronto, ticket sales, concessions, they are all on the table for anyone who is now a Blue Jays fan.

Furthermore, any chance to capitalize on that exposure when it comes to future Japanese players is a big deal. The Jays have finished short the last three years in battles for Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki, but maybe they won't lose out on the next great talent.

This kind of reminds of us the NCAA Tournament, does it not? Once a team makes the tournament and gets big-time television exposure, those schools tend to see a boon in admissions and recruiting. Getting your brand in front of people matters and this could really benefit Toronto.

But again, how big the punishment is will dictate a lot moving forward.

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