The White Sox already made one splash in the Japanese market this offseason by signing infielder Munetaka Murakami earlier this month, and it appears they could have another move up their sleeve. The club has reportedly emerged as the “frontrunners” for free agent right-handed pitcher Tatsuya Imai, per a recent report from Yahoo Sports Japan.
Imai, 27, is a three-time All-Star in Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan and is coming off a dominant season with the Saitama Seibu Lions, where he recorded a 1.92 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, and 178 strikeouts across 163.2 innings. The right-hander features a four-seam fastball that sits around 95 MPH, as well as a slider and changeup as part of his arsenal.
Report Details
The translated report from Japan offers some interesting insights. A wide variety of teams have been connected to Imai this offseason, including the Cubs, Yankees, Phillies, and Mets. Those teams are listed in this report as well, but this is the first concrete example of the White Sox appearing in the race for his services. The team is mentioned as one of the “leading contenders” for Imai and is taking a "proactive stance" in to acquire him, according to multiple sources.
The article also mentions that the Yankees are prioritizing negotiations with current free agent outfielder Cody Bellinger, while the Phillies have reportedly not yet offered Imai a contract. The White Sox reportedly view Imai as an “ace pitcher” and are approaching him with a contract of around three years, rather than a seven-year deal. A contract of this structure could allow Imai to prove he is a MLB caliber pitcher and position himself for a big payday in a few years.
Murakami Parallels
Imai’s free agency is beginning to closely resemble that of Munetaka Murakami, who ultimately signed a two-year, $34 million deal with the White Sox despite earlier contract projections well north of $100 million. Like Imai, Murakami entered the offseason with lofty expectations only to find a slower-moving market than anticipated. Imai and his agent, Scott Boras, have reportedly been meeting with interested teams over Zoom, but Imai himself confirmed the lack of formal offers from MLB teams in a recent conversation with a Japanese outlet.
“Apparently, there actually aren’t many concrete options on the table yet,” Imai said on TV Asahi’s “Udo Times” program, “And it seems that having teams show interest and receiving a formal offer are completely different things.”
Fit With White Sox
With Imai’s market reportedly not shaping up as anticipated, another top talent from Japan could be falling into the White Sox laps at a fraction of the price many expected. Imai would become the team’s ace immediately and provide a much-needed addition to a White Sox starting rotation that is largely unproven and unestablished. Bringing in Imai would also continue the positive momentum the team has built in Japan recently.
With Imai’s posting window closing Friday at 5 PM ET, the White Sox appear to be positioned for another opportunistic strike in the Japanese market. Whether or not a deal materializes, their presence in this race signals a clear shift in how the organization is approaching high-end talent acquisition.
