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2h ago

Seibu Lions Post Ace Tatsuya Imai, Opening 45-Day MLB Negotiation Window

Multiple big-market clubs are lining up during the GM Meetings to pursue the 27-year-old right-hander.

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MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 6: Shota Imanaga #18 of the Chicago Cubs pitches in Game Two of the National League Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on October 6, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images)
Japan's Yakult Swallows slugger Munetaka Murakami celebrates his 56th home run in the team's final game of the regular season against the DeNA BayStars in Tokyo on October 3, 2022. - - Japan OUT (Photo by JIJI Press / AFP) / Japan OUT (Photo by STR/JIJI Press/AFP via Getty Images)
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Overview

  • Tatsuya Imai has been posted by the Seibu Lions, giving him 45 days to reach an MLB deal under the posting agreement.
  • Reporting places the Yankees among the expected frontrunners, with the Mets, Dodgers, Giants, Red Sox and others also linked to the pursuit.
  • Imai is coming off a dominant 2025 with a 1.92 ERA and 178 strikeouts in 163.2 innings, and some outlets rank him among the top starters available.
  • The Tokyo Yakult Swallows already posted slugger Munetaka Murakami, further intensifying this offseason’s NPB-to-MLB market.
  • With Tarik Skubal signaling he wants to remain in Detroit, the Mets are exploring alternatives such as Framber Valdez and Imai, and a USA Today report indicates they could target two front-line starters.