The rumors came true. Japanese star player Kazuma Okamoto has reached an agreement with the Toronto Blue Jays, according to journalist Jeff Passan of ESPN.
BREAKING: Japanese third baseman Kazuma Okamoto and the Toronto Blue Jays are in agreement on a free agent contract, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 3, 2026
Okamoto, 29, had until January 4 to reach an agreement with a Major Baseball team, having been transferred by his Tokyo Giants team to the NPB. Details of the agreement have not yet been revealed.
In 77 games played last season for the Giants, Okamoto posted a .322 batting average with 15 home runs and 51 RBIs. He has 248 home runs in his NPB career and has hit 30 or more for six straight years from 2018-2023, including a career-high 41 two seasons ago. He spent his entire 11-year career with the Giants.
Okamoto has mainly been used at third base in Japan, but he can also play at first base. He is the latest Japanese star to sign an MLB contract this offseason, following the signings of Munetaka Murakami with the Chicago White Sox and pitcher Tatsuya Imai with the Houston Astros.
