The Big Oak Era has begun! The Blue Jays have finally made a big splash in the Far East, signing the first ever position player to be posted by the 22-time Japan Series champion Yomiuri Giants, Kazuma Okamoto.A player of great intrigue for many reasons—including how he'll fit with the Blue Jays defensively, whether his improved strikeout rate in 2025 was for real (it jumped from a still-excellent 15.9% down to an unbelievable 11.3%), how well his ability will translate overall, and how much of a marketing win in Japan his acquisition will prove to be for the Jays—Okamoto was unveiled by the club in a press conference on Tuesday, where he charmed in both Japanese and, briefly, English. If he can contribute even just a little more than half of his 2025 wRC+ of 210 in the big leagues, he'll be an outstanding addition on a Jays club where his high-contact/low-strikeout skillset should fit right in. And his arrival doesn't even appear to have taken the team out of the running for top free agent Kyle Tucker or a reunion with homegrown star Bo Bichette.Fun times!** FOR AN AD-FREE VERSION OF THIS—AND EVERY—EPISODE, PLUS WEEKLY BONUS SHOWS, FIND US AT patreon.com/BJHH ** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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