Japanese 18-year-old pitching prospect Shoki Oda and his camp met with MLB teams yesterday, including the Phillies and Mets. He is expected to meet with the Cardinals, Blue Jays, Astros, Yankees and others in the coming hours. Oda would be eligible to sign on Jan. 15, 2027, if Show more
Blue Jays had meeting with Japanese pitching prospect Shoki Oda
Photo credit: © Jonathan Dyer - Imagn Images
Nov 7, 2026, 10:00 ESTUpdated: Nov 7, 2026, 00:30 EST
It wouldn’t be an off-season if the Toronto Blue Jays weren’t connected to a notable free agent.
While they’ve been heavily connected to Seiya Suzuki early in the off-season, they’ve reportedly met with one of the best International Free Agent prospects for the 2027 class. According to this article for the Japanese publication Chunichi.co.jp, the Blue Jays have met with 18-year-old pitcher Shohei Oda. Francys Romero also reported their interest.
According to the article, the Blue Jays were represented by former player Gosuke Kato, while another publication (Sanspo) reported that team nutritionist Yuka Sanui was also at the meeting.
Oda sits in the upper 90s with his fastball and features a changeup, cutter, splitter, slider, and curveball according to this MLB.com article written by Michael Clair and Ayako Oikawa.
The Blue Jays aren’t the only team with interest, obviously. Oda also met with the St. Louis Cardinals, as well as the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, and other teams, with more meetings to come.
Unlike the situation with Teruaki Satō, who is currently posted, whatever team that signs Oda will be held to the typical International Free Agent rules, much like Rōki Sasaki was during the 2024-25 off-season. The period is scheduled to open on January 15th, 2027, but with the lockout looming on December 2nd, it’s still unclear how teams will be able to acquire young international prospects, or even if they’ll be able to in 2027.
In recent years, the Blue Jays have ramped up scouting in the Pacific Rim, both for their big league team (Kazuma Okamoto and Cody Ponce), as well as their farm system. In the past two years, they’ve signed Seo-jun Moon and Kwon Si-Woo from South Korea, Cai-Chen Long from Taiwan, and Tomoya Kinjo out of Japan.
Cynthia Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, DFOEdmonton, and DFOCalgary. She can be followed on Twitter @CynthiaRDelaney.
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