Blue Jays Sign Kazuma Okamoto to Four-Year, $60M Deal
Blue Jays recently signed Kazuma Okamoto to a four-year, $60 million deal, part of a signing spree with Dylan Cease, Cody Ponce, and Tyler Rogers.
Overview
Okamoto is a Japanese infielder known for power and consistency, posting a .277 average with 248 home runs and 717 RBIs over 11 NPB seasons, including multiple home run titles.
Blue Jays signed Okamoto to a four-year, $60 million deal, part of a signing spree with Dylan Cease, Cody Ponce, and Tyler Rogers.
Okamoto contributed to Japan's victory in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, homering off Kyle Freeland to lift Japan past the United States 3-2 in the final.
With the aim of contending for a World Series title since 1993, the Blue Jays bolstered their roster by adding Okamoto alongside Cease, Ponce, and Rogers.
Okamoto has consistently delivered at least 30 home runs each season from 2018 to 2023, peaking with 41 in 2023 for the Yomiuri Giants.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources... The reporting is neutral, using no loaded language or selective emphasis. It presents contract terms, player history, and potential roster implications as factual details, while noting posting rules and recent team moves to provide context, without endorsing outcomes or injecting editorial judgments.
Sources (3)
FAQ
Over 11 NPB seasons with the Yomiuri Giants, Okamoto hit .277 with 248 home runs, 717 RBIs, and consistent power including 30+ homers each year from 2018-2023.
Okamoto, primarily a third baseman in Japan with first base experience (474 games), is projected as an eventual primary first baseman in MLB.
Okamoto hit only 15 home runs in 69 games in 2025 after missing half the season due to a left elbow injury from a collision at first base.
The Blue Jays signed Dylan Cease (7 years, $210M), Cody Ponce (3 years, $30M), and Tyler Rogers (3 years, $37M) alongside Okamoto.
Okamoto hit the go-ahead home run off Kyle Freeland to help Japan defeat the US 3-2 in the WBC final, with 7 RBIs in 18 at-bats overall.
History
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