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According to his agent Scott Boras, Japanese pitcher Tatsuya Imai will be made available to all Major League Baseball teams on November 19, three days from now. He will then become one of the top three pitchers on the free agent market, along with Dylan Cease and Framber Valdez.
From then on, several MLB teams will be after him, and according to his Japanese sources, David Vassegh of MLB Network lists five teams as the most likely destinations for the Nippon.
Among them, of course, are the Toronto Blue Jays. True to form, they'll be involved in everything this winter. With a starting rotation that currently includes Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber and youngster Trey Yesavage, the Blue Jays need reinforcements on the mound.
Both New York organizations will also be in the running. The Mets will want to address the major deficiency that prevented them from making the playoffs in 2025, while the Yankees will want to make up for the early campaign absences of Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon and Clarke Schmidt.
According to his sources in Japan, David Vassegh lists off these 5 teams as the likeliest destinations for Tatsuya Imai:
– Yankees
– Phillies
– Blue Jays
– Mets
– Padres https://t.co/OUOVeLQjeQ– Damon (@Damon98_) November 15, 2025
Next in line are the San Diego Padres, who will see Dylan Cease and Michael King go on the market. In addition, Yu Darvish will miss the entire season and Joe Musgrove is recovering from Tommy John-type surgery. Not to mention the fact that the West Coast of the United States always attracts players from the land of the Rising Sun.
Last but not least, the Philadelphia Phillies will also be in the mix. With a starting rotation including Imai, Zack Wheeler (if healthy), Aaron Nola, Cristopher Sanchez and Jesus Luzardo, the representatives of the city of brotherly love would be in the driver's seat.
The Japanese pitcher is expected to initial a contract in the region of $150 million for six years. Where he lands remains to be seen.
This content was created with the help of AI.
