Tigers Still Have Shot at Japanese Star But Time Is Running Out
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The Detroit Tigers entered the offseason as they do every year: with fans hoping they make the kind of big splash they have been waiting for in what continues to be agonizing yearly.
Fans are ready for the next big exciting signing, and while there have been some decent moves to address the pitching staff as was expected, the flashy huge name has not happened yet. There's still plenty of offseason left, but the Tigers seem determined to take a pass on Alex Bregman, potentially taking them out of the equation for a big bat entirely.
What if instead of a bat though they went all in on pitching and landed one of the biggest options in free agency who despite an expected robust market remains still available with the clock now ticking?
Perhaps here at the final hour ahead of his signing deadline this week on Friday, January 2, Detroit could make a final push for Japanese sensation Tatsuya Imai.
Could Tigers Make Late Run at Signing Tatsuya Imai?
The 27-year-old Japanese right-hander was expected to be one of the top names on the market in terms of starting pitching after a stellar career over there, but instead, Imai now sits two days before his deadline without a team to call his own.
In all likelihood, teams are still going to be interested and attempt to sign him, but given that the possible deal -- including a completed physical -- needs to be finalized by the 5:00 p.m. EST deadline Friday, the pressure is on to get something done as soon as possible.
Publicly, Detroit has not been linked much to Imai, but given the potential desperation to get a deal done in the next day or so, perhaps Scott Harris could come in with a much more team-friendly agreement than the nine-figures he was expected to command.
If Harris can get involved here, Imai would be a perfect middle of the rotation option.
Imai Could Become Superstar for Tigers as He Continues to Blossom
Statistically, it's tough to gauge exactly how numbers in Japan will translate to Major League Baseball, but over the last four years, Imai has shown some really encouraging figures.
This past season, the right-hander had a 1.92 ERA and 0.892 WHIP over 24 starts, striking out 178 batters in 163.2 innings pitched. The most encouraging aspect of his game though is the way he's gotten his command under control in the last several seasons.
After walking 4.8 batters per nine innings in 2022, Imai lowered that total to 4.1 in 2023, to 3.6 in 2024, and all the way down to just 2.5 in 2025 with only 45 BB on the season. Clearly, as he has matured as a player, Imai is becoming a steady and reliable ace.
While the transition is going to be tough on him and he likely will not instantly be a star in the MLB, Imai absolutely has the makings of a durable and reliable arm which can help any rotation he steps into.
Adding him to the Detroit staff would give the Tigers one of the strongest and deepest rotations in all of baseball. If Harris wants to get it done though, he had better move quick.
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Michael Brauner is a 2022 graduate of the University of Alabama with a degree in Sports Media. He covers various MLB teams across the On SI network and you can also find his work on Yellowhammer News covering the Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn Tigers as well as on the radio producing and co-hosting 'The Opening Kickoff' every weekday morning on 105.5 WNSP FM in Mobile, Alabama.