Mon Jan 05 14:50:00 UTC 2026: The Toronto Blue Jays have signed Japanese infielder Kazuma Okamoto to a four-year, $60 million contract, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The 29-year-old, primarily a third baseman and first baseman in Japan, is expected to play third for Toronto, impacting the free agency market for other infielders. The signing may benefit the Boston Red Sox, who were previously linked to Okamoto but acquired Willson Contreras to play first base. With the Blue Jays seemingly out of the running for Alex Bregman, it potentially increases Boston’s chances of re-signing him. The Red Sox are reportedly still engaged with Bregman and his agents but are also considering alternatives, including Blue Jay Bo Bichette. Okamoto, a veteran from the Yomiuri Giants, has a .277 average with 248 home runs over 1,074 games in Japan. He joins Munetaka Murakami (White Sox) and Tatsuya Imai (Astros) as Japanese stars recently signing with MLB teams.

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