Tatsuya Imai Meets MLB Teams Before Friday Signing Deadline

The Japanese posting system is back in the baseball spotlight. One of Nippon Professional Baseball’s most dominant arms, Tatsuya Imai, is weighing his future.

Imai is closing in on the final days of his posting window. He’s meeting face-to-face with Major League teams, getting ready to make a call that could totally reshape his career—and maybe a contender’s rotation, too.

Tatsuya Imai Nears Crucial MLB Decision

With only days left before his 4:00 p.m. Central deadline on Friday, Imai’s free-agent process feels more intense than ever. The 28-year-old starter is holding in-person meetings with several organizations, and it really seems like things are moving fast now.

People say these meetings are happening in Los Angeles. But don’t read too much into that—geography doesn’t always mean preference. Both Imai and fellow posted player Kazuma Okamoto are represented by Scott Boras and the Boras Corporation, whose Southern California offices are basically the go-to spot for these high-profile talks.

Teams Showing Interest in Imai

Several Major League clubs have been linked to Imai, especially teams that really need starting pitching with upside. Both big-market contenders and some ambitious mid-market clubs see him as that rare combo: proven results and prime-age potential.

Teams most often mentioned include:

The Chicago White Sox got a mention for a bit, but league sources told MLB.com not to expect much there.

Why Imai’s Market Is So Strong

Imai’s market is intense, and the difference between him and other recently posted players helps explain why. The White Sox signed Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami to a modest two-year, $34 million deal after teams worried about his swing-and-miss issues.

Imai doesn’t have those same question marks. High-end starting pitching is still the most valuable thing in baseball, and he’s coming in with a clean bill of health and performance.

Elite NPB Performance and Power Stuff

Imai just finished back-to-back dominant seasons in NPB. Most recently, he posted a 1.92 ERA and struck out 178 hitters across 163 2/3 innings.

Since the start of the 2024 season, his 27% strikeout rate leads all NPB starters. Scouts are especially interested in his stuff—he sits in the mid-90s with his fastball, and his slider looks like a real strikeout pitch even by MLB standards.

Improved Command Raises Imai’s Ceiling

Earlier in his career, command was the one thing scouts nitpicked about Imai. That’s mostly faded away now.

Last season, he dropped his walk rate to a personal-best 7%, which actually stacks up well against the current MLB average. That kind of progress says a lot about both his mechanics and his maturity on the mound.

Age and Timing Favor a Big Contract

Imai heads into his age-28 season, which is usually a pitcher’s prime. He’s quite a bit younger than a lot of international free agents who come over in their 30s.

That age, plus his performance, makes it likely he’ll land a contract that blows away recent deals for posted position players. The current demand for pitching doesn’t hurt, either.

Posting Fee and Final Steps

Once Imai signs, his MLB team will owe a posting fee to the Seibu Lions. The amount depends on the final contract value, and here’s how it breaks down:

Imai still needs to complete a standard physical before the deadline. If all goes smoothly, we might see an agreement announced as soon as Thursday.

 
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