Major League Baseball will have a wealth of Japanese talent enter the market this offseason, with two well-known Nippon Professional Baseball stars getting posted by their respective teams. Star third/first baseman Munetaka Murakami entered the free agent market on Friday after the Tokyo Yakult Swallows posted him, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. On Monday, another star from NPB joins Murakami on the list of Japanese free agents entering the market, with the Seibu Lions announcing that they would be posting 27-year-old right-handed pitcher Tatsuya Imai, per ESPN. Imai and Murakami both have 45 days from their posting dates to sign with a team, per the agreement between MLB and NPB. The posting window runs from Nov. 1 to Dec. 15. Imai is coming off his best season in 2025 for the Seibu Lions, posting a 10-5 record with an ERA of 1.92 while striking out 178 batters. In eight seasons, Imai went 58-45 with a 3.15 ERA in 963.2 innings. MLB Trade Rumors predicted that Imai would sign a six-year $150 millionRead More
MLB free agency adds intrigue as another NPB star to be posted
