The clock is ticking on two of the primary Japanese free agents in this years’s market, starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai and corner infielder Kazuma Okamoto. The New York Mets were initially reported to have some interest in signing Imai, but so did at least 20 other teams, and the posting window for both players basically ends this week, although technically the window extends through next Monday.
According to Tim Boyle of Rising Apple, however, Imai isn’t getting any real offers. This is somewhat stunning given how desperate teams across the league are for starting pitching, so it’s worth a quick dive to see what’s going on with the Mets and others in this situation.
At first glance, Imai is an ideal candidate to merit a gamble. He’s 27, he’s had success in Japan, and he wouldn’t cost any draft capital. On top of that, another Japanese player, Munetaka Murakami, was reduced to taking a two-year deal for $34 million with the Chicago White Sox, so it seems safe to assume that the market for Japanese players might be a bit depressed this year based on the scouting reports and assessments.
The Mets haven’t been shy with making big offers to Japanese pitchers, either. According to Boyle, they make a $300 million offer to pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who starred in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ World Series run this year.
The scouting reports on Imai have touted his velocity and pitch assortment. He supposedly throws in the high 90s with a fastball/slider/changeup mix, and Imai pitched to a 1.92 ERA with 178 strikeouts in 163-2/3 innings for the Seibu Lions in NPB. He also comes with a low sidearm angle that’s generated comps to the likes of pitchers Luis Castillo and Max Scherzer. His fastball has been compared to that of Minnesota starter Joe Ryan, which feels wildly optimistic.
"Certainly, he's done everything Yamamoto's done in NPB,” said super agent Scott Boras in a piece written by David Adler of MLB.com back in November.
The Boras factor here is intriguing, to say the least. He’s always willing to talk up his clients and deliver those outrageous comps, and he doubtless has one of those Boras books on Imai that make him out to be a future Hall of Fame.
Yet here we are, late in December, with Imai’s posting window about to expire and very little action happening with him. Has Boras simply decided that the initial offers for his client were simply too low? Stearns seems determined to start his rotation overhaul that will unload the likes of pitchers Kodai Senga, Clay Holmes or David Peterson, but Imai is definitely one of two names to watch this week.