Okamoto a Blue Jay
- Paul Semendinger
- Jan 3
- 2 min read
January 3, 2026
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Breaking News - The Blue Jays have signed Kazuma Okamoto.
Another player who might have helped the team is gone - again to a rival.
Many say the off-season has been quiet around baseball, but teams are signing players. Just not the Yankees.
The Yankees are telling their fans, very loudly, that they're mailing it in for 2026.
I hope the fans tell the team that they too are mailing it in - that is walking away from the once proud team.
The Yankees have gone from Great to Good and have been satisfied with that (as have some of their fans) for most of the last decade. The progression is in the wrong direction.
The best thing that can happen for the future of the franchise is for the Yankees to crash and burn in 2026 and maybe even 2027 to show the people running the team that their approach does not work, at all. Maybe then necessary changes will be made. Maybe then will the advertising dollars dry up. Maybe then will the stadium will be half empty.
This was once the most aggressive, most determined franchise. This team was once the team the great Japanese players wanted to play for.
Remember the excuses with Yamamoto. "He only wanted to play with Ohtani" and "The Yankees made a nice offer (even if it was less than the Dodgers)." Years later, we see the truth - the Yankees weren't really in on him. They didn't go all-in. They went in enough to be outbid. They wanted to make it look like they tried.
Now they don't even make it look that way.
The talking point said at the time, "All the Japanese players want to be Dodgers," and/or "The west coast is so much better for Japanese players" falls way short as the three Japanese star players to sign in 2026 go to Houston, Chicago, and Toronto.
I am tired of the Yankees' excuse making. I don't buy any of it.
Winners do not need to make excuses. The fact that all the Yankees could do was make excuses spoke volumes. Now they're not even pretending to try. They sit on the sidelines as the rest of the league improves.
This was once the game's proudest franchise. No longer. No longer.
What a shame.
It starts at the top..... ownership, management and then the manager.... until that changes, nothing changes! I know that is a simplistic comment, but anything beyond is honest angst by writers and fans. Hal Steinbrenner is the problem..... unfortunately, this chapter continues!
I'm not upset over Okamoto signing with Toronto because none of us know how he will play at the mlb level. Also, Cease was drastically over paid, and no one but clint frazier (essentially) wanted him in NY. What does upset me is the inactivity of the NYY this off season. Plenty of players that would improve this team were never really considered, while Hal and Cashman act like they know something the rest of us don't. It's gotten to a point where it really is reasonable to want this team sold. The non-stop rhetoric by these two is mind numbing, and insulting. They tend to be reactive, so look for a move very soon. They are followers not leaders.
Hal Steinbrenner is writing his novel about his legacy as we watch. It's titled, The Team Owner Who Squandered a Modern Day Babe Ruth.
I just do not recognize the franchise at all anymore. The combination of Cashman's ego and Hal's small market sensibilities' just makes us an also ran these days. I expect some fancy trade and one of either Bichette or Belli to be signed and them to start a fake hype train about the in season additions of injured guys coming back. And I see us making the post season and losing in the first round. Sadly Hal is not a winner, he is the son of a winner. There is a huge difference
The Blue Jays may not be done yet. They might still be able to sign Bichette.
What will Hal Steinbrenner's response to all of this be? The Yankees need bullpen help. They've done nothing in this department and they've actually lost two of their higher leverage guys.
The Yankees need to protect Aaron Judge. Who's going to bat behind Judge?
If the Yankees bring Bellinger back the team is basically the same team as last year but with a far worse Bullpen and a rotation with a bunch of question marks and injury concerns.
Is Hal Steinbrenner going to sign Bellinger and then sign Bichette? If so, I'm in support of that plan. But if Steinbrenner is only going to…