Kazuma Okamoto Signs with the Blue Jays for $60 Million
Japanese third baseman Kazuma Okamoto has finalized a four-year, $60 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays, the team announced on Sunday. The contract includes a signing bonus of $5 million. Okamoto will receive a salary of $7 million this year and $16 million in each of the following three seasons. Okamoto, 29, has hit 248 home runs, the most in the league, surpassing by one Munetaka Murakami, who signed with the Chicago White Sox in December, since joining the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in 2015 with the Yomiuri Giants. Before 2025, Okamoto had hit 27 or more home runs each season since 2018, but only added 15 last season after missing approximately half the season due to an elbow injury resulting from a collision at first base.Although Okamoto is more than three years older than Murakami and does not possess the maximums in terms of home run quantity or high-level exit velocities, he offers more consistent performance. While Okamoto’s home run totals decreased to 27 in 2024 and 15 in 2025, his batting average increased to .280 and .327, respectively, and his strikeout rate fell to 16% and then 11% in 2025.
Okamoto’s skills focus more on how often he achieves his power, regularly lifting and pulling the ball in games, rather than being a batter with tremendous strength, although Okamoto’s raw power ratings are still positive compared to Major League hitters. Like Murakami, Okamoto has limited long-term defensive value and is considered to eventually be a primary first baseman. Although he played primarily at third base in Japan, Okamoto has played a lot of first base (474 career games), so his transition should be easier. The combination of Okamoto’s long track record and his wide range of skills made him attractive to several teams looking for a less expensive alternative to Pete Alonso on the free agent market. The Blue Jays will have to pay the Giants a posting fee of $10,875,000 for Okamoto. MLB teams that sign players through posting must pay a fee to the Asian team from which the player is transferred: 20% for the first $25 million, 17.5% for the next $25 million and an additional 15% for each dollar above $50 million. All agreements under the publication agreement between Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball must be finalized by 5 p.m. ET on Sunday. In 11 seasons in the NPB, Okamoto, a six-time All-Star, has a batting average of .277 with 248 home runs and 717 RBIs. He also played for Team Japan in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, hitting the go-ahead home run in the gold medal game against the United States. He had seven RBIs in 18 at-bats during the WBC.
