The Toronto Blue Jays have already put together one of the best offseasons in the major leagues this season and they could have a lot more moves left in store.
The Blue Jays bolstered their starting rotation by signing starting pitcher Dylan Cease to a seven-year, $210 million contract Dec. 2. Toronto added more arms to its bullpen by acquiring Chase Lee in a trade with the Detroit Tigers. The Blue Jays also signed Tyler Rogers to a three-year, $37 million contract.
Toronto is also reportedly the front-runners to land outfielder Kyle Tucker and shortstop Bo Bichette.
The Blue Jays could have more irons in the fire beyond Tucker and Bichette, as well.
According to posts on “X” from Gaijin Baseball (@GaijinBaseball), Toronto is interested in three players posted this offseason from Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball: corner infielders Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto and starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai.
According to Gaijin Baseball’s reports, other teams interested in Imai are: the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies and Baltimore Orioles; teams looking at Murakami include the San Diego Padres, the Boston Red Sox, Mets, Yankees and Pittsburgh Pirates and other teams interested in Okamoto are the Red Sox, Mets and Pirates.
The Blue Jays were the only club mentioned as potential suitors for all three players.
All three players have a 30-day window to sign with teams once posted. As of Sunday (Dec. 14), Murakami has 10 days to sign with a team and Okamoto and Imai have under three weeks remaining in their respective windows.
Murakami has been one of the most prolific hitters in Japan the last several seasons. In eight seasons with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, Murakami scored 535 runs in 892 games and hit 146 doubles, four triples and 246 home runs with 647 RBIs. He slashed .270/.394/.557 with a .951 OPS.
Okamoto, who doesn’t have the power profile of Murakami, was one of the best contact hitters in NPB over the last 11 seasons. Okamoto scored 574 times in 1,074 games and hit 212 doubles, three triples and 248 homers with 717 RBIs. He slashed .277/.361/.521 with an .882 OPS.
Imai, 27-years-old, already has eight years of professional baseball under his belt. While in NPB, he posted a 3.15 ERA with 907 strikeouts in 963.2 innings pitched across 159 appearances.
Signing Imai would secure Toronto’s starting rotation for the next several years. Notable starters Kevin Gausman and Shane Bieber will both be free agents after next season. A deal would create a core of him, Cease and 2024 first-round pick Trey Yesavage, who made his major league debut this past season.
Okamoto and Murakami, despite their impressive respective profiles, would be less-clean fits.
Okamoto and Murakami both play first and third base and Okamoto is capable of playing defense in the outfield.
Neither projects well long-term as a third baseman. The Blue Jays also have a log jam of outfielders that can get more complicated if they sign Tucker. Toronto also has arguably the best first baseman in the major leagues, Vladimir Guerrero, who’s signed with the organization through 2039 on a 14-year, $500 million contract that began last season.
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