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. 

Tatsuya Imai will be one of the top arms on the market, but will his talents be worth the price? 

MLB Trade Rumors predicted that Imai would sign a six-year $150 million contract this offseason, putting him below New York Yankees left-hander Carlos Rodon (six years $162 million) and above Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Tyler Glasnow (five years $136.562 million). That’s a substantial sum for a player who many scouts feel is a back-end starter or a possible swingman in the bullpen.