Tatsuya Imai to the Astros

[mk49]

Seems like Imai just got posted.  

I watched some Youtube videos, and he looked good.  He could be a good No2 guy in most rotations.

For 2025,

ERA: 1.92
Whip: .89 (best in the league)
K: 178 in 163.2 innings

Seems like his 4 seam velo is 95 ~ 98mph.  His slider, which moves kinda like a splitter, looks good.  He also has a weird pitch that I don't know what it is, a change up, screwball or a different slider that goes away from a left handed hitters.?

What do you think?  I want the Cubs to try to get him.

 

17K in this, no walk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdfT6gHx_U8

A complete game with 12K
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlN5JbsM7FA

[Bertz]

If nothing else I love that these guys are locking in that they will sign by Christmas.  Pair it with this winter not having a generational talent up top that's going to hold everything else up and this *should* be a healthy paced offseason.  Famous last words I'm sure.

[mk49]

I just found Scott Boras is his agent.  

[Jason Ross]

It appears the Lions have only promised to post Imai, but haven't seen it confirmed he has been posted yet. 

[mk49]

5 hours ago, Jason Ross said:

It appears the Lions have only promised to post Imai, but haven't seen it confirmed he has been posted yet. 

OK, my bad.  I thought he was posted, but they said "begins the posting process."  Either way, if the team approved the posting, it's a matter of time.

[Outshined_One]

42 minutes ago, mk49 said:

OK, my bad.  I thought he was posted, but they said "begins the posting process."  Either way, if the team approved the posting, it's a matter of time.

I edited the thread title just in case, so, *shrug*

[mk49]

1 hour ago, Outshined_One said:

I edited the thread title just in case, so, *shrug*

Thank you.

[Bertz]

Would put his signing deadline the first week of the new year

[macarthur31]

Some tea leaves on Imai:

Quote

Tatsuya Imai when asked about playing for the Dodgers: “I want to beat them… beating a team like that and becoming world champions would be the most valuable thing in my life.”

https://x.com/JustBB_Media/status/1993027294932484332?s=20

On why he'd rather play on a team without Japanese members:

 

Quote

Tatsuya Imai: "(If there were Japanese people) they’d just tell you anything if you asked, right? I don’t really want that; in a way, I want to experience that survival vibe, you know, and when facing cultural differences, making how I overcome them on my own one of the fun parts."

 

https://x.com/NekoSuke5_5_2/status/1992971578351694164?s=20

[javy knows my name]

This guy's nuts; I love it

[WhyCantWeWin]

Would be pretty hilarious if he ended up signing with the dodgers after saying all that

[Derwood]

2 minutes ago, WhyCantWeWin said:

Would be pretty hilarious if he ended up signing with the dodgers after saying all that

He 100% will

[Neuby]

That's fine trade Seiya and Shota to the Dodgers.

[NorthsideAvenger]

1 hour ago, WhyCantWeWin said:

Would be pretty hilarious if he ended up signing with the dodgers after saying all that

I think he ends with the Giants. 

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

I was thinking Mets, their rotation was a disaster at the end.

[Geographyhater8888]

On 11/9/2025 at 9:37 PM, mk49 said:

He also has a weird pitch that I don't know what it is, a change up, screwball or a different slider that goes away from a left handed hitters.?

 

Sounds like a forkball from that description. Depends on the grip. 

Edited November 25, 2025 by Geographyhater8888

[Jason Ross]

12 minutes ago, Geographyhater8888 said:

Sounds like a forkball from that description. Depends on the grip. 

It is a slider. What makes it odd is the movement. Sliders typically have glove side run, in, they run towards the glove. Imai throws what is called a "reverse slider", it has more arm side run meaning its movement path is more towards the thrower's arm side. 

It's the closest to a screwball, but it's still technically a slider and pitch modeling will classify it as such (as it did in NPB's version of Statcast) and Imai also classifies it as a slider. 

[Geographyhater8888]

44 minutes ago, Jason Ross said:

It is a slider. What makes it odd is the movement. Sliders typically have glove side run, in, they run towards the glove. Imai throws what is called a "reverse slider", it has more arm side run meaning its movement path is more towards the thrower's arm side. 

It's the closest to a screwball, but it's still technically a slider and pitch modeling will classify it as such (as it did in NPB's version of Statcast) and Imai also classifies it as a slider. 

I used to pitch. That sounds hard to throw. The description make it sound like a Jose Contreras forkball. Do you know how he throws it? 

Edited November 25, 2025 by Geographyhater8888

[Jason Ross]

1 hour ago, Geographyhater8888 said:

I used to pitch. That sounds hard to throw. The description make it sound like a Jose Contreras forkball. Do you know how he throws it? 

Some combination of grip, arm slot and likely some sort of seam shifted wake. We live in a world now where pitchers can literally defy spin; by releasing the ball and messing with the seams, they can create a wake pattern that makes it appear to a hitter that the ball is spinning in one direction, while it moves in another. 

For Imai, I'd imagine a lot of work is being done with his very shallow arm angle. He's also a small guy, I'd imagine he's not the biggest hand-size guy either. That probably is doing some work.

[BKHoo]

He wants to feel that “survival vibe.”  😂 

How can we create that without getting rid of our Japanese players? 

[mul21]

1 hour ago, BKHoo said:

He wants to feel that “survival vibe.”  😂 

How can we create that without getting rid of our Japanese players? 

Just show him some of Trump's tweets about Chicago. 😜

[mk49]

I watched the video with Imai and Matsuzaka talking on Youtube.  I understand at least 70% of what they said in Japanese. 

Basically, Imai was asked if there's any particular batter he wanted to face in the MLB.  He said "Ohtani".  Then, they went like "so, you don't want to play for the Dodgers?"  Imai was like he'd rather face Shohei than joining his team.

About Japanese team mates, what he said was kinda stupid.  He's going to have a translator with him, so he can ask the guy, even if there's no Japanese team mate.  

I don't think he was very serious saying those things.  I wouldn't be surprised, if he joined the Dodgers, the Padres or the Cubs.  Well, I'd be surprised if Tom pays that much to get Imai, though.

The Dodgers have enough SP's, and the Padres has the unknown future.  The Cubs probably won't pay much.  So, my guess is the Giants or the Mets will sign him.  

I found there's another Japanese SP posted.  He's from the same team as Imai, the Lions.  Forgot his name, but he was supposed be the ace of the Lion, before Imai.  I guess he's a bit older.  He respects Yusei Kikuchi, another ex-Lions pitcher, so he said he wanted to be an Angel.  He's probably very cheap.  I don't think the Cubs have any interest in him.

[Stratos]

Scared of the walks he's had in seasons previous.  Could be over that though.  I don't think he's a TOR but could be solid.

[chibears55]

There a chance he might consider the Cubs still, with Both Imanaga and Suzuki with just 1 year left to play. He'll be the only Japanese player on roster after this season. 

Question is, if he's that adamant about being the only Japanese born player, would Hoyer want him knowing he'd have to agree to not try and add any players in the future while Imai with the team 

[Jason Ross]

12 hours ago, Stratos said:

Scared of the walks he's had in seasons previous.  Could be over that though.  I don't think he's a TOR but could be solid.

He added a new pitch last year and refined his fastball location. I'm not very worried about the walks moving forward.