On the 10th, Seibu Lions announced that they have approved pitcher Tatsuya Imai (27) to transfer to the majors this offseason via the posting system. He is the second player from the team to do so, following pitcher Mitsunari Takahashi (28). Imai is highly regarded in the United States, and the total value of his contract is expected to exceed 20 billion yen. Following the announcement, American media outlets responded one after another. F. Romero, a reporter with the baseball Writers' Association of America, posted, "According to sources, the Yankees are among the leading candidates. His agent will be S. Boras." Once the paperwork is officially submitted, the bidding war will begin.
The announcement of Imai's posting was reported early in the US late at night. NY Post reporter J. Heyman wrote on X, "Seibu has announced that they will be posting star pitcher Tatsuya Imai. The right-hander, who can throw 99 mph (about 159.3 km/h), will likely be one of the top three free agent pitcher." F. Romero added, "According to sources, the Yankees are among the leading candidates. His agent will be Steven Boras."
Imai has been regarded as a leading pitcher player in the current FA market from early on, and is ranked 5th in the U.S. ESPN's Top 50 FA rankings, the highest rated Japanese player, surpassing Munetaka Murakami (10th). He is ranked No. 5 in the ESPN Top 50, the highest rated Japanese player, surpassing Munetaka Murakami (No. 10). Walk His rate has improved dramatically. The ball's trajectory is flat and high, making it easy to strike out. slider The contract is expected to be worth 135 million dollars (20.66 billion yen) over six years with an annual salary of 3.44 billion yen.
American transfer information website Trade Rumors ranked him seventh, stating that he would fit in with the Cubs, Dodgers, and Mets. Fox Sports ranked him 17th, commenting, "He's not particularly big, but seeing as how Yoshinobu Yamamoto was MVP in the World Series, that probably won't stop him from signing for them," and naming the Mets, Giants, Padres, Red Sox, and Yankees as teams he would be a good fit for.
◇Posting System A system in which NPB players transfer to MLB before acquiring overseas free agency rights. If their Japanese team approves, NPB accepts the team's application and informs MLB, and negotiations can begin the day after all 30 major league teams are notified. The application processing period is from November 1st to December 15th. A transfer fee is paid by the MLB team to their Japanese team based on the total contract amount. Players under the age of 25 can only sign minor league contracts, and the total amount of signing bonuses, etc. is limited.
◇Posting transfer fee: In the case of a major contract, 25% of the guaranteed amount
◆Imai Tatsuya (Imai Tatsuya) Born May 9, 1998, Tochigi Prefecture. 27 years old. He began playing baseball in the first grade of elementary school, and as the ace pitcher at Sakushin Gakuin in the summer Koshien in his third year, he led his school to its first victory in 54 years and was also selected for the U-18 Japan National Team. He joined Seibu as the first draft pick in 2016, and from 2011 to 2013, he recorded double-digit win for three consecutive years. In 2014, he was crowned strike out leader, his first title of his career. This season, he has pitched in 24 games, with a record of 10 wins and 5 losses and ERA 1.92. He is 180 cm tall and weighs 80 kg. He bats and throws right-handed. His annual salary this season is 180 million yen.
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・ [Softbank] Nao Higashihama announces his free agency, saying, "My body is fine. I just want to pitch." He has four wins this season, the final year of his three-year contract.
・ [Seibu] Tatsuya Imai is considering a shot at the majors through posting... He will discuss with the team after the season
