Report: Cubs make aggressive push for Japanese star Tatsuya Imai |
Dustin Riese
· · 3 hours ago
Although no deal has been reached as of yet, this is the type of news Cubs fans have been waiting for all offseason. After months of hearing the Cubs are targeting a massive pitching upgrade for their starting rotation, the Cubs have their guy in mind as they appear to be all in for one of the top, if not the top, arms on the market.
In case you missed the reports circling the MLB world Wednesday Morning, prized right-hander Tatsuya Imai has about two weeks to make a decision and has been meeting with teams over the past 10 days. While several teams have been wanting his services, new reports indicate that it is down to the Cubs and Yankees when it comes to signing Imai. Several other teams are still mentioned, but the Cubs and Yankees have emerged as the most serious players for him. Talk about a massive turn in the Cubs' starting pitching pursuit, as it would put an exclamation point on a rotation that was already deep and very good. This is the kind of move the Cubs had to make, and it brings back similar vibes to 12 years ago, when Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer tried to land Masahiro Tanaka, who ultimately took the Yankees' offer over the Cubs'. Tanaka followed that up with an outstanding MLB career, but even he didn't meet all the expectations some had for him. Arguably the best Japanese arm posted since Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Imai may have a higher ceiling than Yamamoto did and, at just 27 years old, would be the Ace/anchor of the Cubs rotation for years to come. There is a reason he is seeking a deal in the 5-6-year range, and with an estimated $155 million price tag, he would be worth every penny. That alone is where the shock comes into play, as the Cubs are not known for spending that much money on free agents, especially pitchers. To hear them as one of the finalists for Imai at that price tag is saying something, as the Cubs must really want him and understand his overall value to this team. As is the case for most NPB pitchers who look to land an MLB contract, there is a ton of risk involved, as they have never pitched in an MLB game before. No matter their success overseas, the MLB game is a different style of baseball and one that often takes a year or so to learn and perfect. Spending big on a starter comes with the expectation that you will not only figure things out, but figure things out quickly. Even with the risk involved, there is plenty of potential, as you are getting a controllable starter entering his prime with the ability to be a frontline starter. You have already seen what he can do on the mound, as Imai has posted a 58-45 career record in Japan over eight seasons and a 3.15 ERA. Those kinds of results would play at any level, which is why many teams so covet him. Armed with a fastball that averages 97 MPH, Imai is another classic Japanese arm who tends to use his breaking stuff just as much as his heater. Unlike most NPB arms that live and die by their splitter, Imai uses a unique slider to get a ton of outs, working similarly to a reverse slider that breaks away from lefties and in to righties. Combine that with 91 MPH velocity, and there is a reason he struck out 178 batters in 163 innings while walking just 45. He is the definition of a strike thrower and knows how to get people, but there are still some concerns that linger. Take this scouting report from Kiley McDaniel, who views Imai more as a middle-of-the-rotation arm as opposed to a frontline starter. “The 27-year-old projects as a third starter — think an ERA in the mid-3.00s — but there’s still some risk for him even to hit that projection since the big leagues are still a step up from Japan’s NPB. Imai is not that big, standing 5-foot-11, and though he has above-average control now, that hasn’t always been the case. His walk rate was 5.1 BB/9 in 2022, then 4.1 in 2023, 3.6 in 2024, and 2.5 in 2025. That makes him sound like a soft tosser who gets by on his newfound feel, but his four-seam fastball sits at 93-97 mph and hits 99. There’s some real stuff here, too, as his splitter is an above-average pitch by nearly any metric, and his slider also performs as an above-average pitch." The velocity is what the Cubs love to see, as they don't have many hard throwers in their rotation. However, the declining walk-to-strikeout ratio could be a concern, as you don't want to walk hitters at the professional level. Risky or not, this is the move the Cubs have to make to be taken seriously. Adding him to this rotation gives the Cubs one of the deepest, if not the deepest, rotations in baseball, as he would join the likes of Cade Horton, Shota Imanaga, Matthew Boyd, Jameson Taillon, and eventually Justin Steele. All of them have won or have the ability to win double-digit games when healthy and would give the Cubs the option to platoon a six-man rotation. That is something little to no MLB team does, but with multiple Japanese pitchers on their team who are accustomed to a six-man rotation overseas, going in that direction is the best way to keep them fresh long-term.
