Feb 16, 2025; Clearwater, FL, USA; Philadelphia Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski (left) and manager Rob Thomson (59) (right) watch buppben sessions spring training workouts at BayCare Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Beyond the futures of Kyle Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto, Ranger Suárez, Harrison Bader and Nick Castellanos, an interesting Phillies storyline this offseason will be their continued attempt to break into the Japanese market.
To that end, Jon Heyman of The New York Post wrote this Thursday:
"They’re trying to keep Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto and also like star Japanese starter Tatsuya Imai (1.92 ERA this year), which shouldn’t be a surprise since they made a big play for Yoshinobu Yamamoto."
It remains to be seen whether being fond of Imai will lead to an aggressive pursuit, but it wouldn't be shocking if the Phillies do try to land the 27-year-old righty.
As Heyman mentioned, the Phillies did try to sign eventual World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto two offseasons ago, but he ultimately elected to take a 12-year/$325 million deal from the Los Angeles Dodgers.
President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski acknowledged last offseason that the Phillies hoped to meet with Roki Sasaki. The pitcher chose not to hear their presentation, instead also signing with the Dodgers.
The Phillies have never had a Japanese-born player make their MLB Debut with the team. The only two Japanese players to ever suit up for the Phillies were Tadahito Iguchi (2007-08) and So Taguchi (2008). Obviously, they were a lifetime ago at this point.
Beyond not having a history of helping Japanese players break into MLB, Philadelphia also doesn't have a large Japanese-American population, which could make assimilation to America more difficult than places like Los Angeles and Seattle, for example.
With that said, it doesn't appear that Imai is going to follow Yamamoto and Sasaki to the Dodgers, who have become Japan's defacto team. Beyond the fact that the Dodgers don't really have a need in their starting rotation, Imai told Daisuke Matsuzaka that he would prefer to be part of a club that dethrones the two-time defending World Series Champions:
"Of course, I’d enjoy playing alongside Ohtani, Yamamoto, and Sasaki," Imai said. "But winning against a team like that and becoming a World Champion would be the most valuable thing in my life. If anything, I'd rather take them down."
That doesn't necessarily mean that the Phillies will be the team Imai joins, but some of the other usual suspects might not be options. Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic cast doubt on whether the San Francisco Giants would make a "nine-figure investment" in Imai. You can never have enough pitching, but starting pitching also isn't really a need for the Mariners.
Granted, starting pitching isn't a pressing need for the Phillies, who have Cristopher Sánchez, Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Jesús Luzardo and Taijuan Walker under contract for 2026, with No. 1 prospect Andrew Painter likely to debut sometime early next season.
An argument can be made that if the Phillies are going to make a big deal for a starter this offseason, they should just bring back Ranger Suárez. With that said, there's a chance that the Phillies have something of a rainy day fund ear marked for when they finally get the chance to sign a Japanese star that they don't necessarily plan to reinvest in another player. Breaking into Japan is such an important strategic objective for the Phillies, both from competitive and business senses. Imai would offer the Phillies that chance, something that Suárez wouldn't.
Just daydreaming about Tatsuya Imai pic.twitter.com/BYg7yywlOQ
As for what Imai would bring as a pitcher, MLB.com's Brian Murphy wrote this of Imai earlier this year:
"He possesses a wide pitch mix, but generally relies on a fastball that can reach 99 mph and his slider. Imai also has a changeup, a splitter and started incorporating a sinker late in the season."
Imai went 10-5 with a 1.92 ERA over 163 2/3 innings pitched last year for the Seibu Lions, while striking out 178 batters. Over parts of eight seasons in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball, Imai posted a 3.15 ERA.
The biggest concern surrounding Imai would be his size. He's listed at 5-foot-11, which is the same height as Yamamoto. However, Yamamoto is listed at 176 pounds, as opposed to 154 for Imai. Spencer Strider is another arm with similar height, but he's 195 pounds. The list of pitchers who have had success pitching at a size similar to Imai's isn't long. The best example might be two-time NL Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum, who was 5-foot-11 and 170 pounds. Imai can probably add some muscle, but at age 27, it's not like you can count on much more natural growth.
But as we said when evaluating Munetaka Murakami — the other top Japanese player available this offseason — the Phillies might need to take a bit of a gamble to break into the Japanese market. They probably aren't going to get the most-coveted Japanese stars.
We'll see if Imai — who has until 5 p.m. ET on Jan. 2 to reach a deal with an MLB team after being posted by the Lions — is someone the Phillies are able to lure.
