Because we’re now just five days away from the posting deadline on Tatsuya Imai (Friday, January 2), I feel obliged to offer some kind of update on the Japanese ace. Reports have long had the Cubs as one of the interested parties, but, as we’ve discussed, details beyond that are ultra slim. It’s starting to look a whole lot like the Munetaka Murakami situation, where the ultimate signing team may be a relative surprise.
Maybe even to Tatsuya Imai, himself!
Consider some comments he just made in a TV interview about the process, which has finally brought him to the United States.
補足、今井がロスにいるのは、代理人・ボラスの会社がロサンゼルスにあって、そこに来てるからです。
— ねこすけ⚾️新アカ (@NekoSuke5_5_2) December 28, 2025代理人と3時間の面会を終えて西武・今井達也 「意外とあまり候補は具体的に挙がっていないらしくて、興味を持っている球団と正式オファーというのは、全く別の話らしいので、そんな中でベストな選択、家族もいますし、いい選択ができるようにしようかなとは思っています」#今井達也 #有働タイムズ pic.twitter.com/jJsuW9OKAO
— ねこすけ⚾️新アカ (@NekoSuke5_5_2) December 28, 2025西武・今井達也「吉田正尚さん、レッドソックスは日本で見に来てないで1日で決まったらしいんですよ。村上選手だって誰一人予想してない。メディアは気にしていないですね、自分で実際に見て思った事、感じた事が自分の中での事実になる。僕はそれしかあてにしていない。」#今井達也 #有働タイムズ pic.twitter.com/qnyPdw0pqN
— ねこすけ⚾️新アカ (@NekoSuke5_5_2) December 28, 2025自ら現地に出向く理由西武・今井達也「僕が実際に手を挙げた球団の現地に行きたいと言ったので、多くなっちゃうと大変だろうと、多くても(ボラス氏が)3、4球団に絞ってからアメリカにきてもらうみたいなことは伝えられていた。」#今井達也 #有働タイムズ pic.twitter.com/4eaeVfoJUf
— ねこすけ⚾️新アカ (@NekoSuke5_5_2) December 28, 2025Now, these are translated from Japanese, so I’m sure we’re not getting the full and complete context, but you do get the sense that (1) teams are really waiting right up to the deadline to make formal offers, and (2) Imai isn’t necessarily feeling as much love from as many very serious teams as had been hoped, at least at this stage in the process. I tend to think the explanation for number 2 is actually number 1, rather than a lack of interest – especially with Scott Boras as his agent – but it’s also possible that a lot of the speculated suitors simply do not believe he will translate as well in MLB as the $150 million projections suggested.
All that said, I read in the implication that there were a lot of teams with initial interest, and then Tatsuya Imai had Scott Boras whittle the list of seriously-plausible teams down to three or four, which would then be the places he took in-person visits. No rumors have leaked on that front that I’ve seen, and, as always, Chicago weather isn’t kind this time of year.
With Murakami, the rumors about the White Sox didn’t start to pick up until a few days before the posting expiration, and the signing reports came a day before the deadline. Hopefully for our own sanity, that same kind of thing happens with Imai this week.
Knowing how the Cubs’ front office operates, however, I would expect their pursuit – if they are truly interested in Imai at all – to look something like this: keep letting Imai’s camp know that they’re interested, and to not sign anything before getting back to them. All the while, hoping that no great offers come in this week, and then the Cubs will start discussions on a creative, Shota-Imanaga-like contract structure 12 hours or so before the deadline. I am just guessing, of course. Not much else to do at the moment.
I would love to see the Cubs operate with some urgency on this (and Kazuma Okamoto! Sign them both!!!), but I admit that I’m flying so very blind on the extent of their actual interest, and the value they project Tatsuya Imai to have in the transition to MLB. I just really like what I see, really like the reports on the pitch mix, and really like that he’s 27.
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