With his posting window closing in a few days, Tatsuya Imai has little clarity on his MLB future.<\/p>\n
During a recent interview with a Japanese outlet, Imai \u2013 who is in the United States to meet with interested teams \u2013 revealed that he\u2019s yet to receive an offer ahead of his Jan. 2 deadline.<\/p>\n
Japanese flamethrower Tatsuya Imai remains on the market ahead of his January 2 deadline to sign. Getty Images<\/p>\n
During an appearance on TV Asahi\u2019s \u201cUdo Times\u201d In Japan, Imai revealed that despite interest from teams, he\u2019s yet to receive a formal offer. TV Asahi<\/p>\n
\u201cApparently, there actually aren\u2019t many concrete options on the table yet,\u201d Imai said on TV Asahi\u2019s \u201cUdo Times\u201d program, according to a translated X post by @NekoSuke5_5_2<\/a>. \u201cAnd it seems that having teams show interest and receiving a formal offer are completely different things.\u201d<\/p>\n Imai, 27, was also shown shopping at a Los Angeles supermarket<\/a> during the segment \u2014 and was stunned by the price of groceries in America.<\/p>\n The polarizing right-hander will likely not face that issue much given his emphatic stance against signing with the Dodgers<\/a> \u2013 but he has fielded interest from several teams, including the Yankees.<\/p>\n However, the Yankees were all but ruled out this week<\/a> after YES Network\u2019s Jack Curry said a connection between Imai and New York \u201cdoes not exist.\u201d<\/p>\n Imai has also garnered interest from the Phillies and Cubs, per the Wall Street Journal.<\/a><\/p>\n A three-time NPB All-Star, Imai has established himself as one of Japan\u2019s top pitchers. Getty Images<\/p>\n For one of Nippon Professional Baseball\u2019s top hurlers in recent seasons, a long-term deal once seemed like a certainty. <\/p>\n Across 159 career games with the Seibu Lions, he owns a 3.15 ERA and three NPB All-Star selections \u2014 including a 1.92 ERA and 178 strikeouts over 163\u2154 innings in 2025.<\/p>\n But success in Japan hasn\u2019t guaranteed big money this winter. <\/p>\n Slugger Munetaka Murakami appeared poised for a massive payday before settling for a two-year, $34 million deal with the White Sox<\/a> a day before his posting window closed.<\/p>\n Another Japanese standout, infielder Kazuma Okamoto, is expected to come to MLB this offseason \u2014 yet he remains unsigned with his posting window set to close Jan. 4.<\/p>\n Imai cited fellow countryman Munetaka Murakami, whose transfer to the majors did not yield the type of lucrative contract that was once predicted. Getty Images<\/p>\n Imai referenced Murakami \u2014 and another Japanese star currently in MLB \u2014 to highlight the unpredictability of the process.<\/p>\n \u201cWith Masataka Yoshida, it seems the Red Sox didn\u2019t even come to Japan to see him, and the deal was wrapped up in a single day,\u201d Imai said<\/a>. \u201cAnd with [Munetaka] Murakami, not a single person predicted how it would turn out. The media doesn\u2019t really know. What I actually see for myself \u2014 what I think and feel \u2014 that becomes the truth for me. That\u2019s the only thing I rely on.\u201d<\/p>\n