It has been announced that the club has accepted the challenge after Saitama Seibu Tatsuya Imai pitcher expressed their intention to use the posting system and aim to move to MLB. The club will begin the transfer process in the future.

pitcher Imai is in his ninth year as a professional, and he has achieved HQS in 10 consecutive games since the opening, showing off his impressive pitch. In the meantime, in May, he won the 'Taiki Life Monthly MVP' with a good record of 3 wins and 0 losses and a ERA of 0.97 in 5 games. Although he was unable to perform his original performance in July due to poor physical condition, he recovered to a monthly ERA of 0.38, including his second shutout game win of the season in August. In the end, he recorded 10 wins, 178 strike out, ERA 1.92, and WHIP of 0.89 for the third consecutive year of double-digit win.

▼ Koji Hiroike General Manager Comment ▼
"I decided that now was the time to accept the MLB challenge baseball. If you want to take on the challenge, I want you to show yourself playing well in the United States. He is a player who has made a great contribution to the team in recent years, so there is an impact on Imai's absence, but we will fight with the strength in terms of the growth of young players and the formation."

▼ Tatsuya Imai pitcher Comment ▼
"I am grateful that you accepted my request, and I am full of gratitude for considering various things and taking a long time to make decisions during the discussion. I have been playing every year with the aim of winning the league and becoming the best in Japan, and that feeling remains the same even if the team changes. I will stick to win and throw with all my might to help the team."