After being officially posted for MLB teams last week, the market for Tatsuya Imai is slowly starting to take shape.

ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel noted his recent projection of an all-in cost to sign Imai, including the posting fee that would be owed to the Seibu Lions, of six years and $157 million “could be a bit low.”

The reasons Imai could end up beating that figure are largely tied to his age—he won’t turn 28 until May 9—and not having a qualifying offer attached, so a signing team won’t have to forfeit a draft pick.

As for the potential suitors for Imai, McDaniel cited many of the usual suspects, like the New York Mets, New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants. He also included possible surprise teams, like the Pittsburgh Pirates and Miami Marlins since they are at least indicating a willingness to spend in free agency.

The Athletic’s Andy McCullough predicted the Mets as the team for Imai, noting their desire to improve their run prevention in the wake of their Sunday trade with the Texas Rangers for Marcus Semien in exchange for Brandon Nimmo.

Starting pitching also figures to be a high priority for the Mets. Their rotation ranked 18th in ERA (4.13) and 27th in innings pitched (796.0).

The Yankees have a need for starting pitching, especially early in the 2026 season. Carlos Rodón will miss the start of the year after undergoing elbow surgery in October. Gerrit Cole is unlikely to return before May as he continues to rehab from Tommy John surgery.

San Francisco is often in the market for high-end players in free agency, but it hasn’t had a lot of luck in landing many. The Giants also need to add depth to their rotation with Justin Verlander being a free agent.

Imai’s market will be fascinating to track because there are some flaws to his game. The right-hander averaged 4.4 walks per nine innings during his NPB career, though he did get it down to a career-low 2.5 in 163.2 innings last season.

McDaniel added Imai’s fastball sits from 93-97 mph and can touch 99, with an above-average slider to go with it. If he can harness the control that he showed in 2025, he could translate to a mid-rotation starter in MLB.

The posting deadline for Imai is at 5 p.m. ET on Jan. 2.