The Detroit Tigers narrowly dodged missing the playoffs after having one of the most historic collapses in baseball during the second half of the 2025 season. 

They lost the AL Central championship to the Cleveland Guardians, but won the war by knocking the Guardians out of the playoffs. The Tigers are possibly looking at a rebuild sooner rather than later, with thoughts of trading away the best pitcher in baseball, Tarik Skubal.

There is no telling when they may do this; however, they are still talented enough to contend for the division and the American League pennant as things stand

. The Tigers must look to improve the rest of the starting rotation while Tarik Skubal is there and in preparation for when he is gone. 

Yoshinobu Yamamoto has been the poster child since the World Series of what a Japanese pitcher can do in the MLB. The Tigers must follow suit and sign the next big pitcher out of Japan, and that is Tatsuya Imai.

*THIS IS A PREDICTION, NOT A REPORT*

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Tatsuya Imai To Sign With Tigers

Tatsuya Imai is the next generational pitcher to come out of Japan to try his hand in the MLB. Imai is a 27-year-old right-handed starting pitcher and has been with the Saitama Seibu Lions since 2017. He is a three-time NPB All-Star.

2025 may have been his best season yet, pitching in 24 games with 163.2 innings with a career low 1.92 ERA. 

The main concern for Imai entering the league was his control and his walk rate. In 2025, Imai had a career low of 2.5 walks per 9 innings. Lower than his 4.4 career average. Imai may have figured out a way to control his pitches better, and that is what is leading him to take the jump to the big leagues.

Imai’s pitching arsenal includes a fastball, slider, and changeup. Imai has a low, sidearm release point that helps create significant horizontal movement. His fastball typically sits around the 95-96 mph range and has topped out before at 99 mph.

Imai has drawn comparisons to Luis Castillo and Max Scherzer. If he can produce anywhere near those two, his signing would be an absolute win.

The Tigers already have some of the best pitching in baseball with Tarik Skubal, Jack Flaherty, and Casey Mize. They absolutely need to find a suitable fourth option in their rotation that they can rely on during the season.

The innings Imai pitched in Japan in 2025 would rank second on the Tigers. He has almost 100 more innings pitched than Reese Olson, who held the next highest number of starts on the season after those three.

What Would Tatsuya Imai Cost the Tigers?

Tatsuya Imai is in the thick of his prime at 27 years old and will turn 28 next May. He is the top international pitching prospect out there and is set to earn a lot of money.

Imai has stated he does not want to be on the Dodgers and wants to go to a team without Japanese representation already. This could hurt him in negotiations down the road.

Imai is projected to sign a six-year deal worth somewhere between $150 and $157 million. Putting his annual average salary at around $26.16 million.

Much cheaper than what Tarik Skubal will project when he becomes a free agent in 2027. Yamamoto of the Dodgers has shown what kind of investment you can get out of Japan. 

If the Tigers are legitimately trying to go for a World Series and keep Tarik Skubal happy, they should be proactive this offseason and look to build up their pitching staff.

Their offense took tremendous steps in 2025, and it’s time for their pitchers to take one in 2026. A big step for them would be to add a reliable starting pitcher with a high upside as their fourth member in their rotation. That is why the Detroit Tigers will sign Tatsuya Imai.