Will this star get a chance to sign with a big league team?
There is a bit of late interest swirling around Japanese free agent slugger Kazuma Okamoto, who doesn’t have much time to sign a Majors contract. Okamoto’s posting deadline expires Sunday at 5 p.m. ET and will return to Japan's NPB if he’s unable to reach a deal. However, there are multiple teams who should be interested in his services, and several links have swirled.
The Toronto Blue Jays were a team connected to Okamoto last week, and they do have an opening for a position player. While that lineup hopefully also includes Bo Bichette, there’s certainly room for the Japanese star. Okamoto is best known for his slugging, with a .277 career average in the NPB with 248 home runs but can slot in at first or third base. With the Blue Jays, he could play third while shifting the lineup around a bit.
Here is the full story from Blue Jays Roundtable writer Brady Farkas on the fit in Toronto for the Japanese slugger.
Okamoto has also been connected to the Seattle Mariners among other teams, and his range at first or third certainly helps garner more interest. He’s not necessarily being touted for his defensive skills, but moreso his hitting ability as a consistent contact hitter, and that fits well with the Mariners who were strikeout-heavy in 2025.