The Blue Jays are sending a group of employees to Japan this off-season to do a lot more than just sightsee.
asserted
Jays → send → more
Team president Mark Shapiro revealed during his end-of-season media availability on Wednesday that the Jays will make the nearly 14-hour flight to explore business opportunities.
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Jays → reveal → opportunities
The Jays have been heavily tied to the Japanese market in recent years.
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Jays → tie → years
They attempted to sign Shohei Ohtani prior to the 2024 season and made a run at Roki Sasaki the following season before signing Kazuma Okamoto to a four-year deal worth $60 million (U.S.) last winter.
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They → attempt → deal
There’s a strong possibility the Jays will attempt to engage in that market again this off-season.
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Jays → ’ → market
“We’re certainly looking to leverage that from a business perspective,” Shapiro said about interest in the Japanese market.
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Shapiro → look → market
“Our understanding coming in was that it’s not a one-year process; it takes multiple years.
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it → come → years
So we’re going to have a contingent going over to Japan this off-season.
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contingent → go → Japan
I might make a trip as well, following that up.”
Beyond the talent, signing Japanese players opens up a new market.
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signing → make → market
One reason the Jays came so close to signing Ohtani was that ownership was sold on the idea that his contract would almost pay for itself through television deals, sponsorships and corporate partnerships.
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contract → come → deals
Ohtani is one of one, so his situation doesn’t necessarily apply to his fellow countrymen, but it still provides a framework for how this would work for others, just on a smaller scale.
Aside from additional exposure on social media, Shapiro said the Jays haven’t seen any quantifiable financial benefits from last year’s addition of Okamoto.
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Jays → apply → Okamoto
That might change this winter as the Jays put more time into learning how they might benefit from the Japanese market.
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they → change → market
The Jays were less concerned about the financial opportunities a year ago, more focused on making sure Okamoto transitioned well to the majors.
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Okamoto → focus → majors
They can now leverage his success (the 30-year-old slugged 33 homers with 92 RBIs in his rookie season) to tap into that market again.
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old → leverage → market
“I think we learn every time a player comes from another country, or another culture,” Shapiro said.
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Shapiro → think → country
“Some of the challenges with Japan are the difference in travel, the difference in the way the schedule works.
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schedule → work → way
I think we tend to overlook some of the challenges that exist in transition, which gives me hope that Kaz is going to be even better next year.
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Kaz → think → hope
Ohtani would be covered extensively by the Japanese media no matter which team he plays for, but the Los Angeles Dodgers are the most popular franchise in the Pacific Rim.
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Dodgers → cover → Rim
Not just because they signed him, but because they added Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Sasaki, too.
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they → sign → Yamamoto
The Jays have an opportunity to create something similar.
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Jays → have → something
They have a clear need for middle-of-the-order bats and two of the best available happen to be Japanese.
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two → have → best
It’s a given that Shapiro and general manager Ross Atkins will at least explore the possibility of signing one.
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Shapiro → ’ → one
It wouldn’t be surprising if they explored adding both.
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they → explore → both
Sato has slugged at least 38 homers each of the last two seasons in Japan.
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Sato → slug → Japan
Suzuki just finished a five-year run with the Cubs that saw him hit .269 with 113 homers and an .823 on-base plus slugging percentage; no qualified Jays hitter finished with an OPS above .762.
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hitter → finish → .762
“It’s just another demonstration that this is a good place to come and play baseball,” Atkins said, alluding to Okamoto’s success.
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Atkins → ’ → success
“We’ve got some attention, certainly from last year, from some of our other pursuits and the impact on our team, so nothing but a positive influence.
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We → get → influence
Money talks more than anything else in free agency.
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Money → talk → agency
But when the offers are comparable, players and agents shift their focus to other factors: quality of facilities, travel demands and how much their family would enjoy living in the city.
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family → shift → city
It’s the same kind of stuff you and I would consider if we were offered a new job.
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we → ’ → job
The Jays might not have as much to offer as the Dodgers, who have long been established in the Japanese market dating back to the days of Hideo Nomo in the 1990s, but they are ahead of just about everyone else.
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they → have → everyone
That’s important because there won’t be a lot of elite free-agent hitters to choose from this winter.
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That → ’ → hitters
If the Jays are going to solve their run creation issues with cash, there’s a strong possibility at least some of that will be running through Japan.
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some → go → Japan
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