Tatsuya Imai is a 27-year-old starting pitcher who just set the NPB single-season whiff rate record, would not require anything other than money to sign and made it clear that his goal is to beat, not join, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Despite all these things, the right-hander has generated almost no public buzz, even with his deadline to sign being Jan. 2 at 5 p.m. ET.
Odds are, Imai will get offers in the coming days and accept one before that deadline comes to pass, ensuring he won't have to return to Japan for the 2026 season. But the lack of aggression from his potential suitors could prove to be costly at the end of the day. The below teams could come to regret not trying harder to sign Imai by the time he makes his decision.
Philadelphia Phillies
Do the Philadelphia Phillies need Tatsuya Imai? Perhaps not; even without him, they'd still field one of the best rotations in the National League. Still, Dave Dombrowski has made it clear that he'd like to make a splash in Japan, and since when was having too much starting pitching a bad thing? In fact, with Ranger Suarez likely departing in free agency, Zack Wheeler coming back from injury, Aaron Nola coming off a down year and Jesus Luzardo a year away from free agency, the need for a starter is clearer than most might believe.
Signing Imai might not make the Phillies favorites to win the NL pennant over the Dodgers, but it'd obviously make them better. Doing so could also open up the possibility of trading a top pitching prospect like Andrew Painter for an impactful hitter. The Phillies still need to add to their roster, and few players figure to be more impactful than Imai.
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles deserve credit for acting with aggression this offseason, but they've still shied away from adding a bonafide frontline starter. They spent big money, but that was on Pete Alonso, a first baseman. They were willing to trade a starting pitcher with immense promise, Grayson Rodriguez, but that was for Taylor Ward, an outfielder. They were willing to trade a slew of prospects, but that was for Shane Baz, a starting pitcher who might have high upside but hasn't come close to realizing it yet.
The Orioles have been bold this offseason for everything except the biggest need they began with. Perhaps they're hoping Baz turns into the ace they need, which isn't impossible, but Imai has a better chance of being that pitcher in 2026 and beyond. The Orioles not pursuing him aggressively, especially if his price isn't going to be what was once expected given the lack of buzz, figures to be a big mistake. I'm not sure where they get their ace if it isn't Imai.
New York Mets
The New York Mets are another team that has made moves this offseason but has shied away from addressing its Achilles heel: the rotation. The Mets can bank on bounce-backs from guys like Sean Manaea, Kodai Senga and David Peterson, and they can hope young arms like Nolan McLean, Brandon Sproat and Jonah Tong emerge, but they lack an established ace. Imai could be that guy.
I understand David Stearns' reluctance to give starting pitchers big deals, but Imai should be an exception. How often do 27-year-olds as polished as Imai become available for nothing other than money? We've seen Stearns offer Yoshinobu Yamamoto the richest contract a pitcher had ever received at the time, so he'll throw money at the right starter. I'm not saying Imai is Yamamoto, but he also won't get anything close to what Yamamoto did. There's no reason for the Mets to not be aggressively trying to get this done, especially since the other ace-caliber starters are either older free agents who rejected the qualifying offer (Framber Valdez) or trade candidates who'd require some of the Mets' top prospects to be dealt away (Tarik Skubal, Joe Ryan, etc etc).
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are another team that might not need an ace on paper, but a deeper look would suggest they ought to consider adding one. They have Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon leading the way, but both of those starters will miss the beginning of the 2026 season with injury, and who knows what they'll look like when they return? They have Cam Schlittler, but how will he fare in his first full season? The only sure thing in this Yankees rotation right now is Max Fried.
Despite the need for a starting pitcher, the Yankees reportedly didn't have plans to meet with Imai just before Christmas, and nothing suggests that anything has changed on that front. I can understand that New York is prioritizing re-signing Cody Bellinger, but that doesn't mean that they should just ignore their rotation while they wait. There's no reason other than Hal Steinbrenner not wanting to open his wallet that the Yankees are not one of, if not the, favorites to sign him.
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are likely going to let Kyle Tucker walk in free agency, and while they've made some upgrades to their bullpen, they've done nothing to suggest they're going to be better than they were with Tucker in the lineup. Well, signing Imai would change things. He might not be as good a player as Tucker, but he'd fill a more pressing need at the top of the Cubs' rotation.
Given Shota Imanaga's 2025 struggles, Matthew Boyd's inconsistency down the stretch, Cade Horton's inexperience and Justin Steele's injury, the Cubs don't have a single ace to lean on. Imai might be unproven in MLB circles, but everything about him screams frontline starter. Imai would not cost nearly as much as Tucker, and the Cubs absolutely have the funds to sign Imai and add others as well. Chicago cannot be taken seriously without a single big-ticket addition, making their refusal to go all-in on Imai to this point really tough to understand.
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