Toronto has long dreamt of landing a true Japanese star. With Munetaka Murakami entering the MLB’s posting system, that door is now wide open. But of course, nothing good comes easy. The Toronto Blue Jays’ dream of landing a Japanese superstar is turning into a nightmare, and the New York Yankees are to blame, as reported by the Toronto Sun.

“While the 25-year-old (Murakami), who is a four-time Nippon Professional Baseball all-star, will be heavily linked with the big-money New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers, the Jays are likely to be in the mix as well.”

The Blue Jays would very much like the Babe Ruth of Higo, known for his titanic power and the NPB Triple Crown, to go on a deep World Series run like 2025. While they’ve not been as successful with Japanese talents so far, they have scouted Murakami for years. If you recall, they were one of the six teams that were in attendance for his exhibition game against Korea. They even expanded their Pacific Rim presence exactly for chances like this.

Their interest is understandable…

Playing for the Yakult Swallows, over 56 games, or 224 plate appearances, the third baseman/first baseman slashed .273/.379/.663 with 22 home runs. While not his best numbers, he does carry a giant star power.

However, while the team has been chasing Murakami, the bigger question is whether he will be a good enough fit for the Blue Jays.

Already, the Japanese talent is not a good defensive third baseman. Moreover, Toronto has Vladimir Guerrero Jr. signed for the next 14 seasons, so Murakami cannot go to third base. 

He also cannot be the Blue Jays’ designated hitter as George Springer will fit that role until 2026. After that, Anthony Santander is also fixed for his replacement. Moreover, he struck out at a 28.3% rate in 2025 and struggles against pitches 93 mph or harder. He batted just .095 against pitches that fit that category. 

So, not only does Murakami’s game not fit the Blue Jays’ hitting philosophy, but also the lineup. Many analysts already believe Kazuma Okamoto to be a much better fit for a team like the Jays. Yet, they have been chasing their dream of signing a Japanese talent to their roster.

But nothing good comes easy, and for the Blue Jays, the Yankees and the Dodgers are the biggest hurdles.

Now, before panic sets in about the Dodgers, who always seem to land Japanese superstars, you can count them out of this race. They don’t need Murakami at that position, and they are also the MLB payroll leader.

So, from the two names Toronto Sun pointed to as the Jays’ threat, the Yankees are the ones left in the race. And they do have a pressing need, given that the Ryan McMahon situation is a little wonky now.

Brian Cashman had traded for McMahon ahead of last year’s deadline, hoping that he would finally stabilize the infield. Well, defensively, he was rock solid, but sadly, the bat never arrived.

By October, McMahon wasn’t even starting against the leftie. And then the Yankees shifted him towards a late-inning defensive role. So the Yankees need Murakami, someone who has a triple crown on his resume. This makes the Yankees a real threat to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Moreover, for the Jays, this could be their moment. Their footprint in Japan is now bigger than ever, and their World Series run really boosted their profile overseas. In Japan, the viewership broke records, too.

Now Murakami’s 45-day negotiating window opens on Saturday, and one thing is for sure: the sweepstakes will get wild, maybe as much as the Roki Sasaki one was.

Toronto Blue Jays double down on pitching 

If you watched the Toronto Blue Jays this season, then you don’t need analytics to tell you the one thing that this team did the best: smash baseballs. The offense carried them for months on end and helped them win games they maybe didn’t even have any business winning. But come October, it showed that a great lineup can only take you so far!

For most of the year, the starting pitching was Toronto’s soft spot–the injuries and the bullpen days made every series feel like a struggle. Things finally paid off late in the season when the Shane Bieber trade paid off, and Trey Yesavage burst onto the scene.

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Suddenly, the Jays’ future looked brighter. But the front office knew that was not enough. Add Yesavage, who is entering his first full year, and Kevin Gausman, a healthy Jose Berrios, and the rotation has already started to look a whole lot steadier.

But steady doesn’t cut it when Jays want dominance.

Enter Dylan Cease, the one who headlines for the video game stuff he does. Toronto didn’t hesitate and got him. Now ignore the 4.55 ERA from last season. The one thing that translates everywhere is his strikeout ability. The Jays with Cease in the fold have turned their biggest weakness into their strength. And now the final move of the offseason might be to lock Bo Bichette. If Toronto signs him long-term, this roster won’t just be dangerous; it will be a problem for the rest of the league.

As for Murakami, with a posting window of 45 days, he’ll have to sign a contract before January 4 of next year if he’s set to make the move to the MLB next season. It’ll be interesting to see if the Jays finally fulfill their wish for a Japanese star one way or the other.