Mariners Moose Tracks, 1/4/26: Kazuma Okamoto, Framber Valdez, and Orlanda Arcia

In Mariners news…

• Theo DeRosa fired up the Félix Hernández hype machine and put together his case for why the Mariners legend deserves to be immortalized in Cooperstown.

Around the league…

• Japanese infielder Kazuma Okamoto signed a 4-year, $60 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays yesterday morning.
• Japanese pitcher Kona Takahashi opted to return to NPB
  and will likely retry MLB free agency next winter.
• The United States’ military activity in Caracas on Friday night led to the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League suspending all games that were scheduled for yesterday, with the league’s president Giuseppe Palmisano announcing that the league will be evaluating the situation day-to-day.
• Basically every MLB organization has players in Venezuela right now. The Milwaukee Brewers are currently working on a plan to get all of their players out of the country, and other teams are likely working on similar plans.
• The Minnesota Twins signed veteran infielder Orlando Arcia to a minor league deal yesterday.
• Mark Feinsand analyzed how the Tatsuya Imai signing affects the markets for the other big free agent left-handers including Zac Gallen and Framber Valdez.
• Joel Sherman at the New York Post wants everyone to remember that Aaron Boone is on the hotseat with the NFL’s Black Monday on the horizon.
• Ethan Witte at The Good Phight weighed the viability of a few MLB realignment proposals.
• French baseball is getting a little extra star power, as former top NPB prospect Ryosuke Nishikawa signed with the Rouen Huskies yesterday.

Nick’s pick…

• Go Hawks baby, love the Hawks.