"Right-hander Tatsuya Imai, who's spent the last eight seasons playing in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), will officially be posted for MLB teams this off-season, per his club's announcement on Monday. The 27-year-old has played for the Saitama Seibu Lions his entire career and would've become a free agent next winter. Instead, with Imai coming over to North America a year earlier, he'll have 45 days to reach an agreement with a big-league club once his posting window officially opens."
"The Japanese star is coming off a breakout campaign with the Lions, consisting of a 1.92 ERA and 2.01 FIP across 24 starts (163.2 innings), striking out nearly 28 per cent of his batters faced while walking just seven per cent. He also posted career-bests in OPP AVG (.172) and HR/9 (0.33) this past season. Imai's track record of serving as an elite starter is relatively short, with his dominance mostly beginning in 2024"
Right-hander Tatsuya Imai, 27, will be posted for Major League Baseball this offseason after eight seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball with the Saitama Seibu Lions. He will have a 45-day window to sign with an MLB club; if unsigned he will return to NPB and likely pursue free agency next offseason without a posting fee. Imai posted a breakout 2024 with a 1.92 ERA, 2.01 FIP and roughly a 28 percent strikeout rate across 24 starts while walking seven percent. He throws a five-pitch mix led by a mid-90s fastball and a high swing-and-miss slider, making him a highly coveted starting option despite a short elite track record.
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