Blue Jays' announce what position Kazuma Okamoto will play in Toronto
Photo credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
Japanese slugger Kazuma Okamoto says he's open to playing a variety of positions with the Toronto Blue Jays.
The infielder was formally introduced by the team Tuesday afternoon at a news conference at Rogers Centre.
Okamoto signed a four-year, US$60-million deal with the Blue Jays over the weekend.
He moved to Major League Baseball after an 11-year run in Japan, where he led the league in home runs on three occasions.
"We definitely got better today," said Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins.
Okamoto wants utility role to contribute in different ways
The 29-year-old is expected to play third base for theAmerican League champions but can also play first base and left field.
Okamoto said he likes the utilityman role so he can contribute in multiple ways.
Asked about his defensive skillset, Kazuma Okamoto says he's flexible & open to different positions. Ross Atkins says Okamoto could contribute «in several ways, so we'll continue to have that dialogue with him.» Jays announced Okamoto as an infielder. He can play 1B, 3B, some OF
"I consider myself a strong player with strong batting skills," he said via an interpreter. "But when it comes to defence, I like playing different positions."
A six-time all-star with the Yomiuri Giants in Nippon Professional Baseball, Okamoto provides a middle-of-the-order bat with some flexibility on the defensive end.
He hit .327 last year with 15 homers and 49 RBIs in 69 games. The six-foot, 212-pound infielder missed over half the season with an elbow injury.
Okamoto hit 25 homers or more in seven straight seasons between 2018-24.
He also helped Japan win the World Baseball Classic in 2023, hitting a solo homer and scoring twice in a 3-2 victory over the United States in the championship game.
Newest Toronto Blue Jay Kazuma Okamoto batted .333 with a 1.278 OPS in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, including this solo homer against USA that was ultimately the deciding run in the championship game
It's the latest signing in what has been an aggressive off-season for the Blue Jays, who signed pitchers Dylan Cease (seven years, $210 million), Cody Ponce (three years, $30 million) and Tyler Rogers (three years, $37 million) in recent weeks.
The Blue Jays have been linked to Bo Bichette and other top free agents. Outfielder Kyle Tucker, the top name on the market, visited the team's spring-training facility last month.
The addition of Okamoto bodes well for a team that led the major leagues in batting average (.265) and on-base percentage (.333), was third in OPS (.760), but tied for 11th in homers (191).
Under MLB's posting agreement with the NPB, the Blue Jays owe the Giants a posting fee of $10.875 million.
Toronto's regular-season opener is set for March 27 against the visiting Athletics.
Also read on Blue Jays Central :
Newlyweds Bo and Alexis Bichette wedding pictures go viral after being leaked on social media
Newlyweds Bo and Alexis Bichette wedding pictures go viral after being leaked on social media
| POLL | ||
JANVIER 7 | 125 ANSWERS Blue Jays' announce what position Kazuma Okamoto will play in Toronto What position should Kazuma Okamoto play for the Toronto Blue Jays? | ||
| Third Base | 69 | 55.2 % |
| First Base | 1 | 0.8 % |
| Left Field | 8 | 6.4 % |
| Utility Player | 47 | 37.6 % |
| List of polls | ||