It seems like every year more and more players from Japan and Korea are being posted by their teams, making them eligible to sign with major league teams. The Phillies have never been big players in the scramble to sign any of the high profile players from Japan or Korea. The Phillies have had two Japanese players on their major league roster: Tadahito Iguchi and So Taguchi. Both players played with the Phils in 2008, Iguchi playing in just four games and Taguchi playing in 88 games during the regular season and 4 games in the NL Championship Series.
More recently, the Phillies signed Taiwanese pitcher Wen-Hui Pan in 2023. In November of 2024, Pan underwent Tommy John surgery and missed all of last season, but is expected to return in 2026. He has pitched in the lower minors for the Phillies, pitching last for Jersey Shore in 2024. Last January, the Phillies signed pitcher Koyo Aoyagi, who had been posted by the Hanshin Tigers. Aoyagi made 2 starts and 17 relief appearances at Triple-A Lehigh Valley last season before being released with a 7.45 ERA with 23 walks and 16 strike outs in 19.1 innings of work.
So, who is Tatsuya Imai?
Tatsuya Imai is a right-handed starting pitcher who has emerged as one of the premier arms in Nippon Professional Baseball. Born May 9, 1998, he debuted with the Saitama Seibu Lions in 2018 and spent his early seasons refining his command and pitch mix. After occasional struggles with consistency, Imai took a major step forward beginning in 2021, steadily lowering his ERA and developing greater control of a repertoire that now includes a lively mid-90s fastball, sharp slider, and well-timed offspeed pitches.
His breakout came in 2025, when he produced one of the best seasons of any pitcher in Japan, posting a sub-2.00 ERA with strong strikeout numbers and improved walk and home-run suppression. A multi-time NPB All-Star, Imai has also contributed to combined no-hit efforts and established himself as a dependable, durable rotation anchor. With the Lions posting him to MLB following the 2025 season, he is widely viewed as a potential mid-rotation impact arm ready to carry his success onto a global stage.
Should the Phillies be interested?
Starting pitching is not a major concern for the Phillies, but it appears that they will have to find someone to replace Ranger Suarez in the rotation. Philadelphia doesn’t seem too concerned about chasing Suarez, who is now a free agent. Right now, spring training is set up for a potential battle between Taijuan Walker and Andrew Painter for a spot in the rotation. Plus, the Phillies have to plan for Zack Wheeler not being available on Opening Day.
With that scenario, it wouldn’t hurt the Phillies to bring in another arm. Walker has pitched out of the bullpen and could do it again, if needed. There are no guarantees that Painter’s control issues from last season will disappear, so considering him a guarantee does carry a little risk with it.
With all of that to consider, the Phillies should be interested in another starter, but not necessarily a top of the rotation arm.
Are the Phillies interested in Imai?
In a word; yes. The Phillies have shown interest in Imai and are considered to be one of the leading candidates to win the bidding war.
The Dodgers have of course, been the preferred landing spot for players from the Far East. Shohei Ohtani signed with them as a free agent and a few weeks later, Yoshinobu Yamamoto signed with L.A. With a couple of former Japanese stars on their roster, Roki Sasaki was next and he mentioned the fact that Ohtani and Yamamoto were on the roster already was an influence in his decision. It wasn’t just money that saw those three head to Hollywood, having players from your own culture can be a huge draw. The adjustment to the majors is tough and having a couple teammates who can speak the language and are used to the usual customs of your home helps to make it all easier.
It also doesn’t hurt that being on the West Coast, teams like the Dodgers, Giants, and Mariners have a geographical advantage that the Phillies and other teams can’t overcome.
Why Imai might choose Philadelphia
Daisuke Matsuzaka, who now hosts a show called Hodo Station, which is a major Japanese news show, and recently had Imai on the program for an interview.
“Of course, I’d enjoy playing alongside Ohtani, Yamamoto, and Sasaki,” Imai said in an interpreted version of the interview. “But winning against a team like that and becoming a world champion would be the most valuable thing in my life. If anything, I’d rather take them down.”
What better team to do that with than a team that fell short against the Dodgers in last year’s playoffs?
Of course, Imai’s words don’t mean that he wouldn’t sign with the Dodgers, but he sounds open to challenging them instead. Like with Ohtani and other free agent players, money can bring a lot of persuasion and the Dodgers still have a full vault to withdraw funds from.
Again though, Imai sounds like if another team has the money he is looking for, he would be fine with being the lone Japanese player on the roster: “If there were another Japanese player on the same team, I could just ask them about anything, right? But that’s actually not what I’m looking for. In a way, I want to experience that sense of survival. When I come face-to-face with cultural differences, I want to see how I can overcome them on my own — that’s part of what I’m excited about.”
Meanwhile, back in Japan…
The Phillies have upgraded their efforts in Japanese scouting, which is to say that they have gone from a near non-existent presence to having a near-legitimate presence. That change has gotten noticed and could start paying dividends for Philadelphia in the not too distant future.
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