US media reacts to the Toronto Blue Jays new batting order following blockbuster signing

The deal is four years and $60 million, and both Reuters and the AP had the same key detail, a $5 million signing bonus baked in.  Okamoto is 29, a six-time NPB All-Star, and he brings a loud track record, a .277 career average with 248 homers for Yomiuri.

The Blue Jays did not need a total overhaul after going 94-68 to win the AL East last season. They scored 798 runs, and the whole point of this winter is turning «good» into «October-proof,» especially if Bo Bichette stays on the open market.

The best hint at the current shape comes from the depth-chart crowd, with George Springer still sitting in the leadoff chair after a monster 2025, hitting .309 with 32 home runs. That is a lot of thump to stack in front of Guerrero Jr, even before Okamoto settles into a rhythm.

FanGraphs currently pencils in Springer at DH, then Daulton Varsho, then Guerrero Jr, with Anthony Santander and Alejandro Kirk forming the next wave. Okamoto shows up in the lower half for now, but that spot feels like a placeholder more than a verdict.

If Bichette signs elsewhere, the run-prevention angle matters too, because Andrés Giménez at short and Ernie Clement at second can vacuum up a lot of ground. That takes pressure off a lineup that already created plenty, while also smoothing the daily infield mix.

The interesting squeeze is the corner mix, since FanGraphs has Santander in left and Addison Barger in right, with Okamoto sliding into third. If Okamoto hits like his NPB résumé suggests, pitchers are going to get fewer breathers once the order turns over.

Spring training will tell us the real story, where Okamoto bats, who claims everyday corners, and whether Toronto's 2026 lineup feels deep enough to bully good pitching again.