Welcome to the first offseason Crawfish Boil of 2026! Just like a real crawfish boil – everything is in here! There’s a lot to unpack today: MLB.com’s David Adler has more on Okamoto: https://www.mlb.com/news/kazuma-okamoto-blue-jays-deal It’s a 4-year, $60M deal with no opt outs per Jon Heyman. That $15M AAV doesn’t preclude the Jays from continuing […]
Welcome to the first offseason Crawfish Boil of 2026! Just like a real crawfish boil – everything is in here! There’s a lot to unpack today:
- Japanese star 3B/1B Kazuma Okamoto has signed with the Toronto Blue Jays:
MLB.com’s David Adler has more on Okamoto:
https://www.mlb.com/news/kazuma-okamoto-blue-jays-deal
It’s a 4-year, $60M deal with no opt outs per Jon Heyman. That $15M AAV doesn’t preclude the Jays from continuing their pursuit of OF Kyle Tucker, but could signal an end to the Bo Bichette era in Toronto, as Okamoto would likely play 3B in Toronto with Vlad Guerrero Jr at 1B and Ernie Clement moving to 2B. Andres Gimenez is a far superior defender at SS than Bichette but a weak bat. Okamoto could potentially replace a lot of the offense lost by Bichette on the infield and Tucker would increase OF offensive production.
A return of Bichette would create an interesting logjam in the IF for Toronto. Gimenez’ contract indicates he will be the starter at SS and a return for Bichette would move him to 2B, pushing Clement to the bench (most logical arrangement).
- Japanese SP Kona Takahashi is returning to the Seibu Lions.
With the clear depressed market for Japanese players, this is make-sense financial more for Takahashi, who is not in the same class of player as Murakami, Imai or Okamoto. There would also be no posting fee attached to him next year.
- Astros were reportedly interested in Takahashi before signing Imai:
- Jon Heyman has the latest on the Big 6 Free Agents:
Cliff Notes:
- You aren’t crazy. The market is moving slowly.
- Kyle Tucker isn’t likely to get $400M, but could still see a $300M+ pay day.
- Besides the Blue Jays, the Yankees and Mets have both checked in on Tucker, though Cody Bellinger’s lower price tag is likely more appealing to the NY teams, especially the Yankees.
- Dodgers could be a stalking horse should Tucker be open to a short term deal.
- Framber Valdez met with the Mets, Giants and Orioles among others at GM meetings.
- Baltimore should be considered a strong option, Mets (David Stearns) are leery on giving out a long term deal.
- Expects Cody Bellinger to remain in NY, and Yankees are favorites. However Yanks and Bellinger have been at a standoff for weeks, and possible Mets swoop in to steal him from their crosstown rivals.
- Dodgers and Giants have also been linked to Bellinger.
- Bo Bichette is drawing interest at 2B and 3B, as well as SS.
- Jays want Bichette back (though Okamoto signing could change that), Red Sox are interested in him. Cubs/Yanks/Dodgers have all checked in on him
- Red Sox are balancing Bichette market with Alex Bregman’s free agent market, and the Ketel Marte trade market.
- Bregman is the Red Sox top target. Jays and Cubs also interested.
- Orioles, Giants, Mets and Cubs all interested in SP Ranger Suarez.
- The Red Sox have made a big offer to Alex Bregman, according to Marino Pepen:
His report would seem to indicate that Boston is starting from a $32M AAV for 5 years and willing to add incentives to take it higher. It would make a lot of sense for Boston to go all in on Bregman, considering he established himself as a team leader last season, was highly productive for them, and they traded their biggest in-house star Rafael Devers because his fragile ego was shattered by Bregman’s presence.
- Could the Astros be looking at more Japanese talent this year and in coming years? A Japanese publication states that Daikin, the HVAC giant that owns the naming rights to Houston’s stadium, could see an increase in their stock price as a result of the team signing Japanese star pitcher Tatsuya Imai:
If bringing more top Japanese talent to Houston has a tangible benefit to Daikin making the company more valuable, it would certainly stand to reason that there could be more endorsement/sponsorship money coming from Daikin to the Astros.
- Former Astros pitcher Yusei Kikuchi spoke about how the team’s approach to pitching not only helped him, but was easy to understand and implement:
Translated from Japanese:
Kikuchi Yusei: “On the first day of transferring to the Astros, I had a meeting with the manager, coaches, and data staff, and there they told me to change the distribution of pitch types and the locations to throw, the Astros presented the data in a way that made it easy for me to take it in.”
This is very reminiscent of similar comments made by Gerrit Cole his first season in Houston as well. The Astros get their new pitchers in the “Astros Lab” so to speak, and teach them how to be more effective and efficient.
This is something that may have helped to play a part in why Tatsuya Imai signed in Houston. Imai’s former manager in Japan was former Astros 2B Kaz Matsui, another positive influence towards Houston.
- Chandler Rome also thinks Kikuchi’s experience with the Astros helped them sign Imai:
- How big a deal is the Astros signing of Imai? Xavier Scruggs thinks it puts them right back in the World Series conversation:
- The Astros designated RHP Kaleb Ort for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster for SP Tatsuya Imai:
Despite having a high velocity fastball, Ort’s effectiveness was inconsistent. The big righthander was 2-2 with 1 Save and a 4.89 ERA last season in 49 appearances covering 46 innings. He also posted a 1.348 WHIP thanks to averaging 5.3BB/9 last season.
Houston had hoped Ort would develop into a leverage reliever after he went 1-1 with a 2.55 ERA for the team in 2024 over 22 appearances and 24.2IP. Ort walked only 1.5BB/9 in 2024, leading to his effectiveness.
For his career, Ort is 5-7 with 2 Saves, a 5.00 ERA and 1.39 WHIP. He turns 34 in one month.
- Robert Murray’s latest updates from around the league after Astros signed Imai on the Baseball Insiders podcast:
Cliff Notes:
- Astros made a great signing in Imai.
- Move could be coming by Astros to shed payroll (credits Chandler Rome on that).
- Mets and Giants make sense for Bellinger.
- Giants spent to get Devers, so makes sense to continue to spend.
- Bellinger wants to play for winning team, Giants could be that with Bellinger.
- Yankees still favorites for Bellinger.
- Has heard about Dodgers checking in on Bichette.
- Bichette getting a lot of interest, but Murray thinks he will stay at SS despite defensive shortcomings.
- Bregman makes most sense in Boston.
- Murray gives a lot of praise to Mets GM David Stearns as a very smart, forward-thinking GM. Knew his well from his days in Milwaukee.
- He expects Stearns to make a big move, that he is waiting out a slow-moving market.
- Surprised that Phillies haven’t gotten deal done with C J.T. Realmuto yet. Expects Realmuto will be back in Philly but longer it takes allows for potential competitor to swoop in and make an attempt to steal him.
- Jenny Cavnar thinks a battle could be heating up between the west coast and the east coast on Cody Bellinger:
- Freddy Peralta wants to pitch in the WBC:
- Cristopher Sanchez also wants to pitch in the WBC:
- The Washington Nationals are finally breaking away from MASN, an RSN 77% owned by the Baltimore Orioles. The Nationals and Orioles have been embroiled in a yearslong battle over rights fees and territory rights:
- MLB.com has chosen RHP Ryan Forcucci as the Astros MiLB Breakout Player of 2026:
- Mike Ferrin thinks Nolan Arenado and the Angels are a good match:
- There’s a lot of steam picking up on Arenado to the Angels:
- Erik Kratz thinks Ranger Suarez would be a great fit in Baltimore:
- The Athletics are expected to sign one of the top international players as soon as the signing period begins:
- Is Carlos Beltran headed to the Baseball Hall of Fame?
Beltran is a former ROY, 9x All Star, 3x Gold Glover, 2x Silver Slugger, and World Series champion with the Houston Astros in 2017. Over his 20 year career, he amassed a 70 WAR, with 435 HR, 1587 RBI, 1582 R, 2725 H and 312 SB.
He is one of only 5 players in MLB history with at least 400 HR, 300 SB and 1500 RBI. The rest of the list is Willie Mays, Andre Dawson, Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez.
Beltran’s involvement in the Astros’ sign stealing scandal of 2017 does not appear to be having a negative impact on his candidacy, which is a very positive sign for Jose Altuve (who should also be a Hall of Famer when he retires).
- Today in 1962 – Ground was broken on the Astrodome:
Category: General Sports
