Right-hander Tatsuya Imai is entering Major League Baseball’s posting system and will be available to teams to sign as a free agent from Wednesday through Jan. 2.
He joins power-hitting corner infielder Munetaka Murakami, whose 45-day window to sign expires Dec. 22.
A 27-year-old right-hander, Imai went 10-5 with a 1.92 ERA this season with the Pacific League’s Seibu Lions. He struck out 178 batters in 163 2/3 innings.
Imai is 58-45 with a 3.15 ERA in eight seasons with Seibu, with 907 strikeouts in 963 2/3 innings. He is a three-time All-Star.
Imai pitched eight innings of a combined no-hitter against Fukuoka on April 18. He struck out 17 against Yokohama on June 17, breaking Daisuke Matsuzaka’s previous team record of 16 from 2004.
Per a report from Nikkan Sports, Tokyo Giants infielder Kazuma Okamoto is also set to be made available through the posting system on Wednesday. Like with Imai, Okamoto is represented by agent Scott Boras, and was brought through the initial stages of the process at the same time.
Okamoto, 29, has spent 11 seasons in NPB, and batted .327/.416/.598 in an injury-shortened 2025. He had appeared in at least 140 games in each of the previous four seasons, before a wrist injury cut this past campaign short. Okamoto still hit 15 home runs in 293 plate appearances, however, and 37 extra-base hits overall.
FOX Sports MLB analyst Rowan Kavner ranked Imai the No. 17 free agent this offseason in his top-30 list, and Okamoto No. 22. For the former he wrote that, “Imai continues to get better every year, seeing his strikeout rate rise and his walk rate decline precipitously,” while for the latter, “Okamoto is four years older than Murakami and doesn’t have the same raw power or star ceiling, but he also doesn’t strike out nearly as often and might have the higher floor.”
Under MLB’s posting agreement with Nippon Professional Baseball, the posting fee would be 20% of the first $25 million of a major league contract, including earned bonuses and options. The percentage drops to 17.5% of the next $25 million and 15% of any amount over $50 million. There would be a supplemental fee of 15% of any earned bonuses, salary escalators and exercised options.
How does the posting process work? Here’s a primer.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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