The Toronto Blue Jays are in search of at least one big bat. There are many suitors for the AL Champions. The MLB‘s only Canadian team could reunite with Bo Bichette, the young slugger who hit a Game 7 home run off of Shohei Ohtani in the World Series. Kyle Tucker, Kazuma Okamoto, Cody Bellinger, Yoan Moncada, and Ketel Marte have all been linked to Toronto this winter.
The Blue Jays have been a very busy team this winter, with pitching as their primary focus. Unfortunately, Dylan Cease, Tyler Rogers, and Cody Ponce don’t hit home runs every game.
Toronto has a promising prospect (or two) who could add power to the lineup, but they won’t be ready for MLB action for a while. However, recently revealed information has come to light that paints Toronto’s current predicament in a new light. Things are generally looking positive, but perhaps less positive for Tucker than most originally thought.
Toronto Blue Jays Interested in Kazuma Okamoto…With a Catch
According to Will Sammon of The Athletic, the Blue Jays are interested in Okamoto, but not exclusively at third base.
“While most clubs are interested in Okamoto for his bat and see him as a corner infielder, the ability to play left field helps his market, too,” Sammon wrote on January 2, 2026. “Okamoto’s versatility makes him even more of a fit for interested teams like the Toronto Blue Jays, a club containing internal infield options plus the potential to make other additions. In Japan, Okamoto played mostly first base and third base, but logged 15 games in the outfield as recently as 2024.”
“Generally, teams may not see Okamoto as an everyday corner outfielder, but one evaluator said Okamoto could be helpful in the outfield, given the right situation.”
Okamoto was limited to 77 games last year due to injury. In 2025, he recorded 15 home runs, 51 RBIs, and 81 hits. He recorded a .322 batting average and a .581 slugging percentage. Adding this type of player to Toronto would open up strong possibilities.
Blue Jays Have Competition For Okamoto
Unfortunately for Toronto, they are not alone in their pursuit of Okamoto. According to MLBTradeRumors, several other clubs have been linked to the Japanese slugger.
“The Blue Jays, Red Sox, Pirates, Padres, Angels, and Cubs have been at least loosely connected to Okamoto during his posting window,” Anthony Franco wrote on January 2nd, 2026. “San Diego’s and Pittsburgh’s interest has come up most frequently, though it’s unclear how much to take from that. The White Sox weren’t tied to Murakami until very late in the process, while it wasn’t publicly known that the Astros were involved on Imai at all until an agreement was done.”
The Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Angels, and Chicago Cubs have all been linked to Okamoto. Additionally, the Seattle Mariners appear to be a late addition to the Okamoto sweepstakes. Okamoto’s posting window closes on Sunday, January 4th, 2026, at 5 pm EST.
Kazuma Okamoto over Kyle Tucker?
It’s not strange for teams to be interested in multiple players at the same time. However, this new detail paints an interesting picture for the Blue Jays.
With Okamoto being seen as a potential option in left field, are the Blue Jays out on Tucker?
That’s where the other Tucker speculation comes in. MLB insider Mark Feinsand reported that the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers are lurking around Tucker.
“Toronto remains the favorite to land Tucker,” Feinsand wrote on January 1, 2026. “The Mets can’t be counted out, given their need for outfield help and their general willingness to spend big when they feel it’s appropriate. The Dodgers are also lurking as a possibility for Tucker, who would make the two-time defending World Series champions even more dangerous as they take aim at a threepeat.”
The Mets’ and Dodgers’ interest in Tucker certainly makes this interesting for the Blue Jays. Especially when you consider what Buster Olney said about Toronto’s offer to Tucker.
“I think the Blue Jays, by the end of the winter, whether or not Tucker signs there, will have made the highest volume offer for him. The most amount of money,” Olney said on TSN 1050 on January 2nd, 2026.
If they offered Tucker the most considerable sum of money, then why are they also interested in Okamoto? And why would an insider specifically mention Okamoto potentially playing in left field?
Are the Blue Jays Truly the Frontrunners for Tucker?
If the Blue Jays were truly the frontrunners for Tucker, wouldn’t he be signed already? Not necessarily.
Agents are squeezing as much money out of teams as possible by dragging out negotiations this offseason. That said, is Toronto’s interest in Okamoto genuine or artificial?
The truth is, no one truly knows. It could be a negotiating tactic by Toronto. Leaking their interest in Okamoto as an outfielder would put pressure on Tucker to sign. Especially considering that Okamoto’s looming deadline is fast approaching.
The interest could be legit, with Toronto eyeing up Okamoto as a fallback option if they missed on Tucker.
Munetaki Murakami and Tatsuya Imai both signed at least a day before their 45-day window closed. If that trend follows for Okamoto, I would expect his new team to announce a signing on January 3rd, 2026.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Blue Jays Add Last Minute Surprise to Kazuma Okamoto, Kyle Tucker Sweepstakes Amid Looming Deadline appeared first on Heavy Sports.