TODAY: Imai has officially been posted, as the league informed teams today. Imai’s posting window opens tomorrow at 7am CT and closes on January 2 at 4pm CT.
NOVEMBER 12: It was reported last week that right-hander Tatsuya Imai would be posted by the Seibu Lions of Nippon Professional Baseball. His agent Scott Boras met with members of the media today at the general managers meeting and said the posting will become official on November 19th. Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet was among those to pass it along.
Once the posting becomes official, it will open up a 45-day window for Imai and Boras to negotiate will all 30 major league clubs. Technically, they will have until early January to work something out. It’s probably fair to expect a deal to come together before the holidays, when the hot stove activity tends to slow down.
Imai should garner lots of interest based on his results and also his age. His earned run average in Japan has been 2.34 or lower in three straight seasons now, including a 1.92 mark in 2025. His strikeout rate has ticked up from 24.4% in 2023 to 26.3% last year and 27.8% this year. Meanwhile, his walk rate has dropped from 11.4% to 9.8% to 7% in those years.
He is currently 27 years old, turning 28 in May. Teams have shown that they value that youth. Recent deals for young players like Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Jung Hoo Lee have surged beyond expectations.
Imai won’t have as much earning power as Yamamoto, who secured $325MM over 12 years. Yamamoto was even younger, having just turned 25 when he was posted, and also had the superior track record of performance. Still, Imai should find lots of interest. MLBTR predicted he could secure a $150MM guarantee on a six-year deal.
The signing team will also owe the Lions a posting fee, on top of the guarantee they give Imai. The Lions will get 20% of the contract’s first $25MM, 17.5% of the contract’s next $25MM, and 15% of any money above the $50MM mark. If Imai were to sign a deal matching MLBTR’s $150MM projection, his new team would owe the Lions a $24.375MM posting fee.
The righty has already been connected to the Mets. Jon Heyman of The New York Post reported today that the Yankees will be looking at Imai, as well as Lucas Giolito. The Yanks go into 2026 with their rotation in flux. Due to injuries, it projects to be much different later in the year compared to the end of camp. Gerrit Cole is still recovering from last year’s Tommy John surgery and won’t be ready by Opening Day. Carlos Rodón underwent a procedure to remove loose bodies from his left elbow and is expected to start the year on the injured list as well. Clarke Schmidt had internal brace surgery in July and could rejoin the club in the second half.
With those absences, the Yankees project to start the season with Max Fried, Cam Schlittler, Luis Gil, Will Warren and Allan Winans in the rotation. Adding to that group would be an understandable target. It’s possible that things get tight later in the year as Cole, Rodón and Schmidt get healthy, but other injuries could also pop up along the way.
Giolito should be a far more affordable addition than Imai. MLBTR predicted him for a two-year, $32MM deal. He was once a borderline ace but hasn’t been at that level in a while. His ERA finished near 5.00 in 2022 and 2023. He missed 2024 due to internal brace surgery. He returned in 2025 and posted a 3.41 ERA but with less impressive stuff under the hood. HIs 19.7% strikeout rate was below league average and well below the 33.7% mark he had back in 2020. He also finished the season back on the IL with an elbow issue, though he says that has now passed.
There are plenty of other starting pitchers the Yankees could consider at different price levels. Presumably, their plans in the rotation will depend upon what they do elsewhere. They have to address their outfield, with Cody Bellinger and Trent Grisham having both reached free agency. It’s also possible they look to remake a bullpen that was a source of frustration in 2025.
Photo courtesy of Rick Osentoski, Imagn Images.
Lovely. Another Boras client.
Yes, what a shame he has an agent who will ensure he gets paid fairly instead of putting more money in the pocket of useless billionaires. But you do you.
The owners and the players can both be the baddies. Boras is bad for baseball, the dodgers are bad for baseball, the pirates/tampa/flordia/As are all bad for baseball.
So … Baseball is bad for baseball?
The Dodgers are bad for baseball? The Dodgers, who just had one of the highest World Series ratings in the past 25 years? The Dodgers are not bad for baseball. Boras is not bad for baseball. The players, except Clase and Garcia, are not bad for baseball. Billionaire owners who want to ruin the sport rather than negotiate fairly are bad for the sport.
I do. not think Boras is interested in “fairness” but rather is interested in pushing salaries to ‘higher than…” My take on Boras.
Those useless billionaires choose to put their time, effort and money into running your baseball team. It’s not like they dont have easier options for their time and money. The hate they cop is baffling.
Are multi-millionaires useless too, or just billionaires? You read a lot into that short sentence. I would hire Boras if I was a player. But you do you.
Simping for Scott boras is nasty work. But you do you.
I agree the players deserve fair share of money. They are why we watch. But Boros gets his money too. But he has at times misread the market. Example Pete Alonso. And at times going for that extra dollar, as opposed to a team where the might flourish. So agents also have agenda, but I hope it would be in the players interest.
Never Remember might have forgotten that the Cardinals still suck.
I think it is ok to dislike Boras and still acknowledge that he is good for the game.
I dislike Boras because he makes public statements that are insensitive to the ordinary working stiffs who are baseball fans, the people who pay for tickets, concessions, cable and streaming.
I think Boras is good for baseball because the billionaires are watching their team values increase far faster than the rate of inflation or even the stock market as a whole. The owners will not fully open their books so there is no basis for a salary cap. And Boras is a good advocate for players getting well paid, even if he has woefully miscalculated for a handful of clients on the average he does very well for them.
So that’s my take, I dislike Boras, but I think that he is more good than bad for baseball and I’m sure he doesn’t care what I think about his public relations insensitivities.
Dodgers. Yawn.
I don’t see him going to the Dodgers. They don’t do many deals with Boras clients.
And Imai isn’t a sure thing like Yamamoto was. They had been heavily scouting Yamamoto for years before he became available. There’s a chance, sure. But they would probably trade some prospects for a rental of Skubal before committing a large contract to Imai.
At least the 45-day window means Boras won’t be able to drag out negotiations until Spring Training. Pressure will be on Boras, Imai & teams to get deal done before New Year’s
Would be nice if there was some type of window for MLB Free Agents that begins after World Series (ex: 60 days, mid-Jan, Feb 1)
Damn it. He hited Boras for hsi agent? I was hoping it would be the same agent as Ohtabi and Yamamoto and a few others..Jowl Wolfe.
Sir, I believe a few of your keys are out of order on your keyboard.
joel wolfe is not ohtani’s agent
Google is an ID10T I guesss then.
CAA – Naz Balelo is OHTANI’s Agent
Joel Wolfe is Roki Sasaki & Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s Agent.
I think that’s who I meant to said Naz Balelo. Thanks for the correction
And then November 20th he signs with the Dodgers. 550mil deferred til 2065.
Boras won’t do that deal.
I have a REALLY REALLY CLEVER post to make about this story, OK? So pay attention, OK? You’re really really going to admire how clever I am. OK? Here goes:
The DODGERS are going to sign him!!!
OK, how about some likes, OK?
Another player for the Japan Dodgers.
Why wouldn’t the Cubs sign him? They sign Japanese players and have money to spend.
Don’t count out the Red Sox and the Blue Jays in the Imai sweepstakes. Both teams desperately need a #2 starter and have the money to sign one. The top 4 US free agent pitchers all received a qualifying offer so draft pick losses are in play for signing any one of them. If either team believes Imai is a solid #2 starter, I’d expect big offers from both teams.
I think Imai is slotting more for middle of rotation or possible strong piece for the bullpen. only time will tell, but I think the teams that need number 2 will not be in this too strong.
Tatsuya Imai is expected to sign with one of several MLB teams, with the New York Yankees considered “highly motivated” and the New York Mets also being serious contenders. Other interested teams include the San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, and Boston Red Sox.
With Boras it’s about the money not the team. He will go to the highest bidder. Since that will not be the Texas Rangers I am guessing it’s the Mets!
It really sucks that Borass is his agent
He is one of the few people on the planet that I hate
I had him signing with the Giants.