Mets called a landing spot for elite Japanese free agent pitcher

The Mets are among the potential landing spots for Tatsuya Imai, who is reportedly open to playing on the East Coast.

Jul 13, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a New York Mets hat and glove in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the eighth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

MLB’s winter meetings begin Monday in Orlando, and unsurprisingly, the New York Mets are right at the center of the rumor mill.

In an article published by ESPN on Friday, insiders Jeff Passan and Buster Olney shared the latest intel on the top names available via trade and free agency. Among the players linked to the Mets was starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai, who was posted by the Saitama Seibu Lions of Nippon Professional Baseball on Nov. 19.

“Japanese right-hander Tatsuya Imai could wind up with a big-market team on the East Coast,” Passan wrote. “The New York Yankees -- with Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon expected to miss the start of the season -- New York Mets and Philadelphia are reasonable landing spots.”

Free at ESPN: The Winter Meetings start this weekend, and there will be action. The latest on the free agent and trade landscapes from me and @Buster_ESPN, including who's likeliest to sign, who's on the trade market and which teams will be most active: https://t.co/HsjTmcyGcr

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 5, 2025

Imai, 27, went 10-5 with a 1.92 ERA and 0.89 WHIP over 163.2 innings this past season for the Lions. He struck out 178 batters, walked 45, and allowed only six home runs while earning his second consecutive All-Star appearance. He also pitched eight innings of a combined no-hitter on April 18 and tallied 17 strikeouts on June 17, breaking Daisuke Matsuzaka's previous team record.

In eight seasons with Seibu, Imai has posted a 3.15 ERA, with his ERAs over the past three years largely improving alongside better strikeout and walk rates. The 5-foot-11 right-hander generally relies on a fastball that can reach 99 mph and his "backwards" slider, but he also has a changeup, a splitter, and began incorporating a sinker late in the season.

Tatsuya Imai looks every bit like an impact arm that MLB teams will be eager to pursue.

2025 NPB ranks:
1.92 ERA (6th)
0.89 WHIP (2nd)
2.01 FIP (2nd)
27.8 K% (1st)
0.33 HR/9 (2nd)
.172 Opp Avg (1st)

pic.twitter.com/X9LADYYNO1

— The Wrigley Wire (@TheWrigleyWire) November 9, 2025

MLB Network’s Jon Morosi wrote in early November that Imai’s profile is similar to, or perhaps even slightly better than, Kodai Senga, who left NPB to sign a five-year, $75 million deal with the Mets in December 2022. His low right-handed arm slot, velocity, and pitch movement have also drawn some comparisons to Luis Castillo of the Seattle Mariners.

Read More: Why the Mets should still re-sign Edwin Díaz after adding Devin Williams

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Imai’s camp could schedule in-person visits with interested teams following next week’s winter meetings — that is, of course, if he has not already agreed to a deal by that point. His 45-day negotiating window ends Jan. 2 at 5 p.m. ET.

Under MLB’s posting agreement with NPB, the posting fee would be 20% of the first $25 million of a major league contract, including earned bonuses and options. The percentage drops to 17.5% of the next $25 million and 15% of any amount over $50 million. There would also be a supplemental fee of 15% of any earned bonuses, salary escalators, and exercised options.

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