Phillies Yet to Offer Contract to Japanese Ace Tatsuya Imai, Per Report

Information about the Phillies' pursuit of the NPB phenom remains slow, but his market should move quickly this week.

May 25, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Detailed view of a Philadelphia Phillies 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

The market for star Japanese starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai was predicted to be widespread, but little public knowledge has emerged about where it currently stands.

The Philadelphia Phillies have consistently tried (and failed) to break into the Japanese market in a big way, and reports from Nippon Professional Baseball news outlets have tied them to Imai, although substantial information has surfaced about how closely they are involved in his market. The 27-year-old righthander has showcased a fastball with elite metrics and secondary offerings with immediate upside, projecting him as a solid insertion into the middle of a contending team's rotation.

One reason why Tatsuya Imai's fastball *should* perform well in MLB?

Arm Angle/Release point. Four-seamers in the range of his arm angle tend to outperform the average four-seamer by a significant mark. pic.twitter.com/Dx66WoxPTd

— Ryan Garcia (@RyanGarciaESM) December 1, 2025

With the starting pitching market moving as slowly as ever, Imai remains one of the top arms available in an impressive class. Japanese media have linked the Phillies with Imai on many occasions, and with radio silence coming from the American reporting scene, it's anyone's guess as to where they truly stand. Predictions for a potential contract have ranged from around $50 million to as high as close to $200 million, but once again, the true details of negotiations are unknown.

Yahoo Sports Japan provided a much-needed update on his free agency on Tuesday morning, giving insight into a few teams in the mix and where everything currently stands.

“The well-funded Phillies and [Toronto] Blue Jays are cautious about the risks of long-term, large-scale contracts, and it's been said they haven't yet offered specific terms to [Tatsuya Imai]," an unnamed reporter wrote. “Meanwhile, according to multiple sources, it has become clear that the White Sox, are among the leading contenders.”

Deadline For Imai to Sign Looming

Imai's former team, the Seibu Lions, officially posted him on November 19th, giving him a 30-day window to sign with any MLB team or return to the NPB.

Japanese RHP Tatsuya Imai's posting window will close on Friday at 5 PM ET.

The 27-year-old recorded a 1.92 ERA over 163 2/3 innings this season for the Seibu Lions of NPB. pic.twitter.com/GG2GyA9J3w

— MLB (@MLB) December 29, 2025

With said window closing on Friday, January 2nd at 5 PM Eastern Standard Time, the phenom is running out of time before needing to make a decision. Southpaw Ranger Suarez continues to be seen as an extreme longshot to return to Philadelphia, and Imai would offer the club fantastic rotation depth and the gateway into the Japanese market that they have desperately been seeking.

The action surrounding his market is expected to heat up quickly, similar to Munetaka Murakami's, who signed with the White Sox just one day before his window closed on December 21st, and it's a waiting game to see if/how the Phillies pursue Imai over the course of the next week.