On Saturday, the Toronto Blue Jays agreed to a four-year deal with Japanese infielder Kazuma Okamoto. The third baseman represents another upgrade to an already-talented Jays offense that helped Toronto get to Game 7 of the World Series in 2025.

He's got six seasons of 30 homers or more under his belt in Japan and he helped Japan win the 2023 World Baseball Classic. He walks a lot and strikes out little, two other things that the Jays value on offense.

But his signing represents more than just an offensive boon, as was noted by Keegan Matheson of MLB.com:

Okamoto represents a major splash in the Japanese market, which the Blue Jays have craved for years now. While their pursuit of Shohei Ohtani two years ago drew headlines around the game and around the world, they’ve consistently grown their presence in the Asian market, working to make inroads for a moment like this one.

In addition to Ohtani, the Blue Jays also courted Roki Sasaki before the 2025 season, but he also chose the Los Angeles Dodgers.

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Gaining market awareness

This is actually the perfect time for the Blue Jays to strike in Asia, so this move feels calculated beyond just the 2026 roster. First off, the Blue Jays just got to the World Series, bringing about international recognition. Secondly, they did so against the Dodgers - meaning that even more eyes were on them. It's time to capitalize on that.

Given Japan's love for Ohtani, Sasaki and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, eyeballs all across the country were on the World Series. If the World Series turned a portion of the population into Jays fans, then it's a win from a marketing, merchandising and financial standpoint. If any future players may pick the Blue Jays as a result of their success and visibility, it's an even bigger win.

And then, of course, there was this marketing ploy gone awry in November, which could have gotten Toronto in trouble, but still helped bring awareness.

Toronto's recent history with Japanese players

Munenori Kawasaki spent three seasons with the Blue Jays (2013-15) and though he wasn't a particularly productive player, he was a likable one. And now he does some television work in Japan, which means he has an opportunity to talk about the organization to a larger audience.

Secondly, Yusei Kikuchi pitched for the Blue Jays from 2022-24, eventually getting traded to the Houston Astros. He turned in an excellent season for Toronto in 2024 before the move, which shows that Toronto's player development is solid. That's important to other prospective Japanese players. Kikuchi will play on the World Baseball Classic roster in 2026, which means he'll have a chance to talk directly with players about the organization. That can also only be a good thing.

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