The New York Mets know they have to rebuild their starting rotation this winter after it led to them missing the playoffs this year.

David Stearns and Steve Cohen can’t afford to mess around in the offseason and not address the starting pitching. Even with the young trio of Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong and Brandon Sproat, the Mets need to be aggressive and add multiple starters. Having too much starting pitching in March is a good problem to have for every contender.

Unfortunately for the Mets, every contender will also be looking to upgrade their starting rotation. There will be a variety of high-end starters on the market this season for New York to pursue. However, one of in particular stands out to former general manager Jim Bowden as a good fit for the Mets: Tatsuya Imai from Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan.

“Imai is an undersized (listed at 5-foot-11, 154 pounds) right-handed starter for the Saitama Seibu Lions who is expected to be posted this offseason,” Bowden wrote for The Athletic. “He sits in the mid-90s with his fastball but can reach the high-90s when he needs it. His best secondary pitch is a wipeout slider and he mixes in a changeup, splitter, curveball and sinker. A two-time All-Star in Japan, Imai posted a 1.92 ERA in 163 2/3 innings this season. Despite his slight build, he’s been durable and profiles in MLB as a mid-rotation innings-eater who can keep hitters guessing. Best team fits: Mets, Giants, Red Sox, Cubs, Orioles, Astros, Padres.”

The Mets are obviously not the only team expected to pursue Imai this winter as every contender will be looking to add elite pitchers as cheap as possible. However, New York is one of very few teams that could outspend 90% of the league; only the Yankees and Dodgers are likely to spend more.

Bowden projects Imai to sign a seven-year deal worth $154 million this winter. That would be an average annual value of $22 million per year which is a reasonable price to pay for a team like the Mets. With Pete Alonso projected to sign a $182 million deal this winter, the Mets may have to begin picking and choosing which positions are the greatest need and where they can concede some value. However, Stearns and Cohen know they can’t have a repeat of this past season.

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