TORONTO — On Tuesday, GM Ross Atkins will discuss Kazuma Okamoto and what’s next for the Toronto Blue Jays when the infielder is officially introduced at Rogers Centre alongside agent Scott Boras.
In the meantime, the signing of Okamoto raises a few questions for the Blue Jays, who have now signed four prominent free agents this off-season. The deals for Cody Ponce ($30 million), Tyler Rogers ($37 million), Okamoto ($60 million) and Dylan Cease ($210 million) add up to $337 million in future free agent commitments and make the Blue Jays the biggest spender of the MLB off-season thus far.
As ever, though, there’s the question of what’s next. On Tuesday, Atkins’s comments should provide some clarity on that front. In the meantime, here’s an initial look at what the Okamoto addition means and what further questions it raises:
1. Where will Okamoto play?
When announcing the deal, the Blue Jays referred to the 29-year-old Okamoto as an infielder — hardly a surprise. While he does have some outfield experience in NPB, he has spent far more time at first and third, with MLB scouts describing him as a plus first baseman and closer to average at third base.
Of course, the Blue Jays already have a plus defensive first baseman in Vladimir Guerrero Jr., which means it would be great for manager John Schneider if Okamoto can handle third this coming season. Expect Okamoto to get regular reps at the hot corner in spring training, along with reps at first and maybe even some time in the outfield. Assuming he handles third well enough in the Grapefruit League, that should lead to plenty of starts there early on in 2026.
At the same time, there’s some flexibility there as Guerrero Jr. will occasionally DH, freeing up first for Okamoto. And with Addison Barger and Ernie Clement both capable of playing third as needed, the Blue Jays have alternatives on days Okamoto is at DH, playing first or perhaps even in the outfield.
2. What next for the Blue Jays on big bats?
Before signing Okamoto, the Blue Jays were in touch with Boras about another one of his clients, third baseman Alex Bregman. At this point, that fit no longer looks nearly as clean, which likely pushes Bregman to another suitor like the Red Sox, Cubs or Diamondbacks.
By signing Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for $500 million and Cease for $210 million, the Blue Jays have shown that they’ll not only pursue top players, they can close deals with them. That’s worth keeping in mind with the likes of Bo Bichette and Kyle Tucker, as the Blue Jays are one of the few teams genuinely involved with elite free agents on a consistent basis.
It’s reasonable to expect the Blue Jays to stay informed on Tucker and Bichette in case there’s alignment on a deal. This front office is extremely thorough in considering its options.
At the same time, the Blue Jays have already outspent every team in baseball while landing four of the top 15 free agents to sign thus far. At some point, other teams will have more glaring needs and may be more motivated to spend big. Take the Mets, who have Tyrone Taylor and Carson Benge projected as outfield starters. Their need for Tucker is greater than Toronto’s right now, and it’s possible the teams’ bids will reflect that.
Bottom line, the Blue Jays may be more likely to lurk than lead a bidding war right now. We’ll learn more on Tuesday when Atkins addresses the media for the first time since the Winter Meetings.
3. What’s the overall status of the roster?
While further space could always be cleared if needed, the Blue Jays do have a full 40-man roster after adding Okamoto. And from a playing time standpoint, Nathan Lukes may be on the outside looking in after the Okamoto deal, as it pushes Barger to the outfield with Anthony Santander and Daulton Varsho.
All of this means any further moves would require more subtractions from the 40-man, and adding someone like Tucker would presumably require a corresponding trade of an outfielder like Santander or Lukes. While possible, it would also complicate further additions.
Meanwhile, the Blue Jays recently added some 2027 pitching depth without impacting their 40-man by signing right-handers Nic Enright and Josh Winckowski to two-year minor-league deals. Enright is recovering from Tommy John while Winckowski had internal brace surgery in December, so neither should be counted on for 2026. But in signing both to non-roster deals, the Blue Jays essentially put an early down payment on their 2027 pitching depth.
