"The Toronto Blue Jays conducted all of their offseason activity with a defined purpose. After nearly winning the World Series, Toronto aggressively added one of the best pitchers and supplemented the roster with a handful of solid additions. One of those additions on the offensive side is Japanese star Kazuma Okamoto. The signing nearly coincided with the free agency sweepstakes of Bo Bichette, who is now wearing a New York Mets uniform playing third base."
"It has raised legitimate questions about whether Okamoto represents an upgrade or downgrade over Bichette. Bichette is a natural-born hitter who experienced a wild 2025 season in which he was injured in September before making it back for the World Series. All told, it was a .311/.357/.483 with 18 home runs and 94 RBIs in 139 games last season. Simpy put, Okamoto needs to replace a solid amount of Bichette's offense."
"Signing Okamoto to a four-year, $60 million contract represents incredible value for the Blue Jays this season and beyond. Okamoto needs to deliver on that bargain value, especially when the franchise is running record payrolls after just making the World Series. If the Blue Jays could realize 30+ home run power from someone "only" making $15 million per season, then it allows the franchise to act aggressively in other areas."
The Toronto Blue Jays targeted clear upgrades in the offseason, adding a top pitcher and several role players while signing Japanese slugger Kazuma Okamoto. Bo Bichette departed to the New York Mets, leaving a .311/.357/.483 line with 18 homers and 94 RBIs in 139 games to replace. Okamoto faces pressure to replicate a substantial portion of Bichette’s production; replacing 60–70% would be acceptable while Andrés Giménez provides strong defense and occasional offense. The four-year, $60 million contract offers high value if Okamoto can deliver 30+ homers, preserving payroll flexibility for other roster moves.
Read at Jays Journal
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