Mets' reason for not pursuing Tatsuya Imai made clear

The New York Mets didn't pursue Tatsuya Imai in free agency for this reason.

Jul 30, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns speaks to the media about the MLB trade deadline before a game against the Minnesota Twins at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

27-year-old Japanese starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai signed a three-year, $54 million deal with the Houston Astros on January 1, one day before his posting period ended.

It was a surprise to see Imai sign with Houston, if only because the Astros weren't thought to be one of his most likely suitors. There were sentiments that the Chicago Cubs and the New York Yankees were the most likely teams to sign him.

Read more: Insider reveals what's keeping Mets from signing Kyle Tucker

It was also surprising to see the New York Mets not connected to Imai more. At the start of this offseason, most considered that David Stearns would make a concerted effort to bring Imai to Queens. But as the winter progressed, reports came out that the Mets showed little to no interest in him. This raised eyebrows among many, given that New York could seemingly use a frontline starter with Imai's talent.

Yet, the Mets are more interested in some of the other free agent pitchers available, such as Framber Valdez or Ranger Suarez, than they were in Imai.

Sep 7, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez (59) walks off the field during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Houston Astros at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Insider explains why Mets didn't pursue deal for Tatsuya Imai

There was clearly a reason why Stearns and the rest of the Mets' brass decided not to pursue Imai in free agency. And MLB.com writer Mark Feinsand alluded to this reason in a January 1 article.

"The Mets still need starting pitching, but sources said the club wasn’t sold on Imai as an impact starter. President of baseball operations David Stearns has shied away from signing pitchers for more than three years, which would have made Imai an ideal target had he felt strongly about his ability to make a successful move to the Majors," Feinsand wrote.

"The top starters out there -- namely Valdez and Suárez -- are likely to command longer-term deals, so it remains to be seen whether Stearns will go all-in for one of them or look elsewhere, possibly the trade market," he continued.

What Tatsuya Imai's deal with Houston means for the rest of the @MLB free-agent market: https://t.co/WHoDyHYplX

— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) January 1, 2026

In other words, the Mets' front office isn't convinced that Imai's success in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) league will translate to MLB. This is a fair enough assessment, especially because there are some concerns about Imai's slighter frame being able to last an entire season.

However, the same could have been said about Yoshinobu Yamamoto two offseasons ago, and he just won the World Series MVP Award. So Mets fans will have to hope that Stearns was right about this one.

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