This may mark the end of the Blue Jays’ pursuit of Kyle Tucker. Toronto needed a reliable power bat and had been linked to names like Tucker, Cody Bellinger, and even Bo Bichette, but that speculation appears to have cooled with reports that Kazuma Okamoto is headed to Toronto. The reigning AL champions have already led the league in free agent spending and opened the new year by signing the 29-year-old Japanese slugger to a four-year, $60 million deal. With Okamoto now in place, the question is whether Toronto’s search for another major bat is over or if the front office still has another move left.

“You know they’ve got the big bat in Toronto in Vladdy. You know they didn’t need to go out and spend 400 or a million or 300 million on Tucker or some of these other guys.” MLB Network Radio host Jeff Joyce said.

Well, with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. already locked in at first base, the Blue Jays’ real need was a dependable bat at second or third. Now that they’ve landed Okamoto, the hot corner looks pretty much set. Okamoto has been one of NPB’s most dangerous hitters since debuting back in 2015. Across 11 seasons, he’s put up a strong .277/.361/.521 slash line. He launched 248 HRs and drove in more than 700 runs!

Even though the 2025 season was a bit of a grind, an elbow injury limited him to just 69 games. He was still outstanding when he did play, hitting .327/.416/.598 with 15 homers and 49 RBIs. That was more than enough to put him firmly on MLB teams’ radar.

So, as per Joyce, Guerrero, and Okamoto, would anchor the infield. Toronto really doesn’t need to chase another big name, especially not someone like Kyle Tucker, who’d likely come with a $400 million price tag.

Also note the Jays’ trend after their Game 7 loss to the Dodgers in the World Series. They have clearly come back motivated. From adding Dylan Cease to bringing in Tyler Rogers and now Okamoto, Toronto has been going toe-to-toe with L.A. this offseason, and arguably winning.

So, at this point, it’s hard not to be stunned, especially by how the Blue Jays are starting to look like the AL’s version of the Dodgers.

What about the Blue Jays-Bo Bichette reunion?

There’s still a slim chance that Bo Bichette could find his way back to Toronto. Yes, despite the noise around Okamoto’s signing. If Bichette did return and settled into an everyday role, either at shortstop or, maybe more realistically, second base, it could push someone like Addison Barger or even Okamoto into seeing time in the outfield.

But will that actually happen?

Right now, it really feels like the Bichette era in Toronto is coming to a close. The decision to bring in Kazuma Okamoto sends a pretty clear message that the Blue Jays expected to move on from their homegrown All-Star. Toronto is expected to use Okamoto primarily at third base, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is expected to stay at first. Thus, effectively reshaped the infield while leaving shortstop unaddressed.

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So, even if Bichette were willing to come back on a more team-friendly deal, shortstop would likely be the best fit. Still, it’s hard not to imagine how electric it would be for fans to see Guerrero, Bichette, and Okamoto all in the same lineup. On paper, that’s about as close to a dream setup as it gets.