On one particular level, it's been an unusual offseason for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Munetaka Murakami, Tatsuya Imai, and Kazuma Okamoto were the notable Japanese players making the jump to Major League Baseball. Given how they have operated in past years, the Dodgers are always the expected favorites, but this time around, they barely got a mention for any of the top three players making their way from Japan.
Murakami signed a two-year deal with the Chicago White Sox (the Dodgers certainly could have interest after 2027), Imai landed with the Houston Astros, and Okamoto was the latest effort by the Toronto Blue Jays to win the offseason.
In many ways, the Blue Jays' losing to the Dodgers in the World Series has felt like something that lives rent-free in the mind of every Canadian this winter. Perhaps that is the reason why the Blue Jays' social media team felt compelled to troll the Dodgers in the aftermath of signing Okamato.
おはようございます、ブルージェイズファンのみなさん! pic.twitter.com/XThB8ONdhJ
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) January 5, 2026
Yes, that is Okamoto hitting a home run off now Dodgers' pitcher Roki Sasaki. Congrats, Blue Jays, you confirmed the fact that the Dodgers are at the center of your mind, even when there is a legitimate reason to be excited about what your own team has done this offseason.
Even with an impressive offseason, the Blue Jays can't get the Dodgers out of their head.
And, to be clear, there certainly are reasons for the Blue Jays to be excited, but it has nothing to do with the Dodgers. Okamoto's arrival will round out their lineup, and the team remains in the mix for either Kyle Tucker or Bo Bichette. Add the fact that Toronto has already signed Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce this winter, and no matter how you look at it, it's been an impressive winter.
That being said, using the signing as a way to troll the Dodgers is giving off odd energy. There's a long way to go before the Blue Jays can even attempt to get the last laugh over Los Angeles.
Instead of focusing on the Dodgers, Toronto may want to keep an eye on its division rival, the Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles have had just as aggressive an offseason as the Blue Jays, and if they find a way to add a frontline starting pitcher, there's no guarantee that Toronto will make it out of the American League East at the top.
