The Blue Jays signed third baseman Kazuma Okamoto on Saturday, adding another Japanese player to their roster and continuing their efforts to tap into NPB talent.
The 29-year-old infielder was a six-time All-Star with the Yomiuri Giants and led the Central League in home runs three times – 2020, ’21, and ’23. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand first reported the signing.
Okamoto becomes just the second Japanese player to sign directly from NPB to Toronto. That’s a pretty small club.
The Blue Jays have had their share of Japanese players over the years, but most came through other routes. Pitchers like Yusei Kikuchi, Ryota Igarashi, Tomo Ohka, and Micheal Nakamura all wore Blue Jays uniforms at some point. Position players include Gosuke Katoh, Munenori Kawasaki, and Nori Aoki.
But signing straight from NPB? That’s been rare for Toronto.
The first was right-hander Shun Yamaguchi back in December 2019. The Giants posted the then-32-year-old, and he signed a two-year, $6.35 million deal with Toronto.
Yamaguchi had solid credentials – four-time NPB All-Star who led the Central League with 188 strikeouts in 2019. He made history as the first Japanese player to debut directly with the Blue Jays on July 27, 2020.
Things didn’t go as planned.
The Blue Jays released him the following February after he got roughed up pretty badly – 23 earned runs and 28 hits in just 25.2 innings. Yamaguchi caught on with the Giants’ organization for a brief minor league stint before heading back to Yomiuri. He retired in 2023.
Now Okamoto gets his shot to write a different story. The timing seems better for both sides – Toronto’s looking to add depth and power, while Okamoto’s coming off strong NPB seasons and hits the market at 29 with plenty left in the tank.
The Blue Jays are clearly still interested in Japanese talent despite how things went with Yamaguchi. Sometimes it’s about finding the right fit at the right time.
