"The Saitama Seibu Lions announced (Japanese language link) on their official team website that they have accepted Tatsuya Imai's request to be posted to Major League teams. Once Imai is officially posted, he'll have 45 days to work out a contract with a big league team, or else he'll return to the Lions for the 2026 Nippon Professional Baseball season."
"Imai has a 3.15 ERA over 963 2/3 career innings with the Lions, with a 22.31% strikeout rate and a 11.52% walk rate. While that career walk rate is on the high side, Imai has reduced that number in each of his last four seasons, and he had a very solid 7.02% walk rate over 163 2/3 innings in 2025."
The Saitama Seibu Lions accepted Tatsuya Imai's request to be posted to Major League teams, giving him 45 days to reach a big-league contract or return for the 2026 NPB season. Imai has a 3.15 ERA across 963 2/3 career innings, a 22.31% strikeout rate and an 11.52% career walk rate that has declined over each of his last four seasons, including a 7.02% walk rate in 2025. At 27, he features a four-pitch arsenal led by a 95-99 mph fastball and a plus slider, creating optimism about MLB translation. Projections include a six-year, $150MM contract while some evaluators view him as a back-end starter or reliever. Any MLB team that signs him will owe the Lions a staggered posting fee based on contract value and future earnings.
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
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