Potential Nationals Target Tatsuya Imai Set to Be Posted This Offseason
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The Washington Nationals made franchise history last offseason when they signed Shinnosuke Ogasawara out of Japan.
Considering how prominent that market has become in the pantheon of having success in Major League Baseball, it was exciting to see the Nationals finally break through. Unfortunately, things didn't go as anyone planned since Ogasawara struggled as a starter in the minors and he was converted into a bullpen arm later in the year.
But with a new front office in place that could look to make a major splash, there's a big-name pitcher in Japan who is set to be posted by the Saitama Seibu Lions, which is his Nippon Professional Baseball team.
Tatsuya Imai Will Be Posted This Winter
According to Mark Polishuk of MLB Trade Rumors, Tatsuya Imai will be posted at some point this winter. It's not clear exactly when that is going to take place, but the fact he's going to be made available to Major League Baseball teams will add another premier starting option to the market.
Imai, 27, will be under free agency rules since he's older than the 25-year-old cutoff where teams would have to sign a player using their international bonus pool money. Because of that, it might be hard for the Nationals to land the star right-hander. But this is still something Paul Toboni and his front office should pursue this winter.
How Tatsuya Imai Fits for Nationals
The easiest thing to point to regarding why this is a fit is the fact Washington needs additional starting pitching. Evaluators are split on the ceiling of Imai in the majors, with some believing he can become an ace while others think he's a back-end guy or even a reliever.
But for a Nationals franchise that is looking to expand their footprint in Japan and upgrade their pitching staff, going after Imai should be a no-brainer. Despite his slight frame, he sits in the mid-90s with his four-seam fastball and can touch 99 mph. He also pairs that with an elite slider as part of his four-pitch mix.
Imai also seems like he has entered his prime. He's coming off the best season of his career with a 1.92 ERA across 24 starts this year, and he hasn't finished with an ERA above 3.00 since 2021. In addition to that, he's also reduced his walk rate and has a career 22.31% strikeout rate.
The only true holdup is money. Not only is Imai projected to get something in the $150 million range. But whoever signs him also has to pay a posting fee to the Saitama Seibu Lions, which only raises the overall cost to bring him in.
Because of that, it's unlikely Washington will be in the sweepstakes for the Japanese star right-hander. But if Toboni wants to make a splash, then finding a way to sign Imai would be it.
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Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he worked at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad became the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continued to cover Penn State athletics. Currently, Brad is the Publisher for Washington Nationals On SI and covers multiple teams across the On SI network. He is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, where he and his co-host discuss topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai